Landscaped flower gardens are always a special decoration of a personal plot. To create a “mountain corner”, simple inspiration is enough, while the size of the earth practically does not matter. You can equip an alpine hill with your own hands in the most unexpected place. Oddly enough, these oases are most often created in places where garbage was previously stored or in territory that has not been processed for a long time.
The appearance of the rock garden magically transforms the site. Creating a miniature composition does not require large material costs. All the elements of the rock garden can be assembled from improvised means, however, in order for the landscape composition imitating the mountain landscape to please the eye for many years, step-by-step instructions for its creation will be required.
What can not be wrong
With the independent creation of rock gardens, certain rules must be observed. The success of the design idea in this case will depend not only on how the vegetable terraces will be arranged, but also on how correctly the proximity between the plants is observed.
It is believed that the main inhabitants of the mountain composition should be drought-resistant unpretentious plants that do not require special care and are not subject to strong growth. In connection with this statement, the choice of location for a rock garden is most often determined by the whim of the owner, for example, to improve an unsightly site or to cover an unseemly landscape. The presence or absence of sunlight in this case does not play a special role. Shade-tolerant plants will survive anywhere, and when planting more fanciful species, an alpine hill will just have to be watered more often.
When planning a rock garden relief, it is necessary to visually imagine for which plants terraces are created. In accordance with the plan of planting, a certain soil must be applied. If most of the design corner will be inhabited by plants with abundant greenery, then when laying levels, you need to consider good drainage.
Arrangement of the first level of a miniature alpine hill
The creation of a mountain landscape involves the construction of a multi-level composition, which will be based on good drainage and a strong construction of planting terraces. For these purposes, conventional large-diameter car tires are excellent. Since in the future the tires will be filled with soil, they should cut the upper cord.
In order for the slide to look harmonious, the lower tier should be slightly deepened. The first tire should be buried in the ground by about half. As a drainage under the tire, it is necessary to lay various stones and sprinkle them with sand. It is not necessary to lay stones in the tire itself, since excess water will go through the lower hole without hindrance. If desired, you can fill the bottom of the tank with sand, on which fertile soil will be poured in the future.
Strengthening the second tier of the rock garden
The next step in the construction of an alpine hill on its own is to create a second and subsequent tiers. After making sure that the lower tire is well fixed, a second tire is mounted on it, but with a fairly large shift. This is done in order to increase the landing area. Depending on the design of the rock garden, several tires may be needed.
After the second level is installed, it is necessary to fix it well. To do this, fill all the external cracks with sand and spill the entire structure with water.
At this stage, decorative stones are also installed.In order for the slide to look natural, design elements must be placed in a chaotic manner.
Final stage: placement of decorative elements, placement of plants
After the entire structure has been assembled and securely fixed, the tires are filled with fertile soil. This may be the top layer of the earth, taken on another site or a specially composed mixture of turf and compost earth. Fill the tanks in such a way that the rubber base of the alpine hill is completely hidden from prying eyes.
When filling the soil, it must be periodically shed with water in order to exclude the formation of empty cavities.
Planting can be started almost immediately. The upper tiers can be populated by higher species, such as conifers. Also, creeping plants look good on the top, which in the future will imitate a flowing green stream.
Low-growing plants should be placed on the lower tiers or at the foot of the alpine hill. At the base of large stones, onion species, primroses and mosses will look good. In order for the decorative island to please the eye throughout the summer season, it is necessary to choose plants in such a way that they replace each other in turn.
For example, in the spring, the slide will be decorated with bulbs: tulips, daffodils, crocuses, and in the summer months the rock garden will delight the flowering of annuals, such as:
- petunias
- marigold,
- viola
- nasturtiums.
Also, miniature rock gardens look great plants with decorative leaves: coleus, cineraria, geyhera. If the flower arrangement is composed of annuals, then the landscape will have to be re-arranged annually. Those who do not have sufficient free time to work on a personal plot, it is recommended to fill the rock garden exclusively with perennial species. In this case, landscape care will be reduced to periodic pruning of overgrown plants and pruning of dry inflorescences.
As an additional decoration of the rock garden, you can use various vases, fancy bottles and unusual household items. Also on the slide, you can install self-igniting lamps that will illuminate the landscape in the dark.
After reading this guide, the question of how to make an alpine hill with your own hands will seem to many not so difficult. Having at hand unpretentious devices, without the help of designers, you can create a wonderful corner with minimal physical and labor costs. However, it is worth noting that any plant landscape requires some care, therefore, in order for the created masterpiece to retain its aesthetic appearance for many years, do not forget to correct it in a timely manner.
