Rockeries in landscape design: types and features of design

The stone garden is very popular among summer residents. Almost every household owner wants to create rockeries on his territory. To correctly create such a flower garden, you should study the types and features of the design of rockeries in landscape design.

The history of this flower garden began about 15 years ago. Then in all publications that were related to landscape design and architecture, they began to draw a clear line between rock garden and rock aquarium. Today, many experts combine the two terms, calling this creation a rocky garden. This decision equates two directions to rock gardens that emphasize Japanese style.

In fact, this is not so: rock arias is a decorative composition in which there are stones and miniature plants. A rock garden is a hill composed of stones where creeping plant types grow.The rock garden requires special drainage systems that are significant in the whole structure. Rockery differs from rock garden drainage system.

The difference is that vegetation, which is used in rockeries, is unpretentious in care. In landscape design, use such flowers, which are easy to care for. Even a novice gardener will be able to create an original flower garden, since knowledge of special skills is not required for arranging a flower bed. For this reason, rockeries are popular among summer residents and gardeners.

Before the arrangement of rockeries, it is necessary to determine the type of future composition. There are several conditional names for this flower garden:

• Landscape. This flower bed settles in the garden, based on the design of the entire site. The composition acts as a component of the design of the entire landscape space. With it, you can combine all the elements into a single picture.
• Terraced. This flower garden is used on sites with slopes. Such a system combines walls of stones with different shapes and heights.
• Rocks and cliff. This rockeries can act as a separate composition or be a component of a complex landscape design. Registration places for vegetation produced in the process of creating flower beds.
• Mountain valley. This is a flower garden, in which there are stones embedded in the soil. Between the boulders should pass paths, which distribute the territory into several zones.
• Mountain slope The creation of such rockeries is carried out on the slopes. Outwardly, it looks like a mountain scree with fragments of rocks and creeping vegetation.

You will immediately recognize such a design due to a variety of stones with the moderation of bright colors and decorative vegetation. Most often in a similar interior used granite. Japanese style is able to show the beauty of wild stones, an exotic setting contributes to peace. Creating a flower garden, you should observe harmony. Potted plants, Buddhist statues, small tables and cages with singing birds will fit into the situation. You can equip the lighting.

In the English style, there are evergreen horsetails, which create a pleasant atmosphere.You can add to the flower garden cereals, decorative wormwood, various flowers and leafy vegetation.

In European design it is necessary to use plants that can adapt to the climatic conditions of the middle zone. The pattern changes due to wild-growing flowers that gradually replace each other. You can plant perennial varieties, miniature shrubs with bright leaves or other plants on your own.

This direction is a bulbous and coniferous plant varieties growing in the mountains of Italy, Switzerland and France. As a decorative component, you can equip artificial water constructions in your garden.

You can arrange rock arias in different styles that harmoniously fit into the overall picture of the chosen style of landscape design. There are temporary flower beds, which are suitable for areas where flat topography or a small slope prevails. Low shrubs that take root without any problems in these climatic conditions are relevant for the middle lanes. If you have artistic knowledge and skills, you can create an original design, diluting your summer cottage with an exclusive garden.

When choosing a planting scheme, take into account the parameters of an adult plant and its crown. While the plants have a small size, use temporary dumping and small stones. When the shrub grows, it will be necessary to replace the old elements with large boulders. Rockery should look beautiful, the design should take into account the size of the shrub.

Rockery can be located near the house. Decorate the composition with the help of mountain plants, among which will grow lavender, moss, fern. Thanks to a discreet range, you can emphasize the style of a chalet or any of the rural areas. The decoration may consist of natural elements (for example, snags, logs, boulders) with natural shapes.

Once the design is determined, you will need to make a choice of the location of the stone garden. The selected site should have all the conditions for the arrangement of rockeries. You need to create a project area, explore the area of ​​the site, especially its landscape, soil. For example, in a small area it is impossible to have pompous stone heaps: they will look unnatural.In large areas, small rockeries can be lost, so the choice of the size of the future flower garden should be approached with great responsibility.

When choosing a place, preference should be given to ravines, terraces and other uneven surfaces. You will be able to beat such sites at the expense of your imagination and turn the unattractive zones into the original creation of nature. If you plan to make rock arias in the country, it is important to consider the fact that not every site may have a ravine, a pond or a terrace. No need to get upset, as the stone flower garden is conveniently located on any type of relief.

Consider the lighting of the selected area. If possible, choose the sunny side: not every plant can grow in the shade. Flowerbed should be placed in such a way that rockeries are in a prominent place and pleased others with their composition. Novice gardeners are encouraged to carry out their work in small areas. To arrange a large area, it is better to turn to professionals (not every beginner is able to cope with a large amount of work on their own).Avoid placing rockeries along the fence and near buildings. If it is impossible to exclude such an option, fill the area with climbing plants.

The selection of stones should be based on simple tips:

• all stone components must have an interesting shape. You can opt for porous stones, cobblestones with attractive cracks, moss-covered boulders. Black sea stones are suitable for creating rockeries;
• The color scheme depends on the tastes of the creator. If you have a good artistic taste, you can easily combine the rocky garden in shades;
• For beginners who are afraid to make a mistake, you can use the same type of stones. To dilute the composition, you can experiment with sizes and shapes;
• The best view has flower beds with two large stones in the center. The remaining representatives must have the same size. Choose stones whose length is 30-40 cm;
• if you decide to break a flower bed on a slope, the stones should be laid upwards from the bottom up. Each tier spread consistently.Initially, you should install large stones, which will act as a support. To make the structure reliable, you can dig boulders to the drainage base. Some gardeners use cement mortar to anchor;
• any stones will be suitable for construction: crushed stone, granite, fragments of bricks. It is popular with tuff (a rock of boulders that create from volcanic ash and other debris). When choosing stones, choose durable varieties that can withstand sunlight and time.

Once you have decided on a stone base, you can begin to choose vegetation. In the creation of a flower garden take part plants, divided into 4 categories:

Usually mini-trees are planted in such rockeries. Attractive stone garden will look if it is thuja, juniper, dwarf spruce. You can equip the original flower garden in a pine design.

Honeysuckle, cinquefoil and various types of cotoneaster can be classified as suitable vegetation. Planted plants should have a compact size,as they are assigned a secondary role.

In rockeries, a combination of bulbous and herbaceous plants will look good. Annual varieties are not popular, as these flowers should be planted every year.

Among such representatives include phlox or cat foot. When choosing plants for your rockeries, remember that it is impossible to plant motley and bright flowers. At the core of the composition should be the stones, the representatives of flora only complement the ensemble of such a garden.

If you chose hvoyniki, you should follow a few rules:

• plants should be low;
• choose varieties that are characterized by slow growth;
• trees must be subject to formation;
• if you do not know whether this variety will be able to settle down on your site, use the landing with a tub.

Once you have decided on a place for plants in the flower garden, you can proceed to the choice of flowers. You will need to achieve constant flowering. When one type of flower ceases to bloom, it must be replaced by others. You can use different varieties of plants, based on the climate of your region.Many gardeners are known such names as: rhododendrons. These perennial plants are often used in the arrangement of Japanese rockeries. Only in rockeries you can find plants that can not be found in natural conditions.

Basic requirements for vegetation:

1. In the rockeries should be planted stunted plant varieties, which during flowering reach a height of no more than 50 cm.
2. Give preference to varieties that differ mass flowering and attractive crown.
3. In the stone garden, ornamental plant varieties look good, which do not lose their attractiveness during growth and maturation.
4. Pay attention to plants with resistant forms: these varieties will not require frequent transplantation and division.

To create a stone garden, you can use different varieties of tulips, wild violets, hyacinths. Observe the order of planting: plants with well-developed roots should be planted first. Next, you can make the landing of soil representatives. Such vegetation performs decorative and applied functions. It is entrusted to strengthen the upper layer of soil,thereby eliminating the blurring of the surface. If on your site there are no slopes, you can plant moisture-loving plants (for example, primula, astilba). For flat rockeries, one should select cereal crops: they will present the composition with a little carelessness.

When the stones, seeds and seedlings are selected, you can start creating rockeries with your own hands. At the time of the start of work, you should decide on the style of the future composition, choose the location of the stone garden. The step-by-step guide for creating rockeries is as follows:

• no project can do without a scheme. Before starting work, it is necessary to draw drawings on which it is worthwhile to display all the components of the stone garden;
• construction should be done in late autumn or spring. Mark on your site the perimeter of the future flower garden;

• remove 20 cm of soil and remove the roots of weeds from the top layer;
• then you will need to cover the selected area with non-woven material;
• lay the drainage layer. It should contain gravel, pebbles and bricks. Compact this layer with sand. The total thickness of the drainage should be 20 cm.If you do not create a drainage layer, the vegetation that does not tolerate moisture will die;

• in this state, the plot should be about 2 months. This time will be enough for shrinkage;
• after 2 months, you can continue the arrangement of the flower garden. You will need to install large boulders on sand that has already reached sufficient density;
• do not overdo it with the amount of stones. When creating rockeries, remember that each stone must play its role in the garden;
• the remaining space must be filled with a substrate in which the plants will be planted later;
• when choosing a substrate, remember that in rock arias the main role is played by stones. For this reason, it is not recommended to choose fertile compounds. The only quality that you should pay attention to when choosing a mixture is the permeability of air and moisture;

• check the stones for stability and adjust if necessary. If the boulders sway, you can fix them with cement;
• when watering the substrate should ensure that it does not erode. Otherwise, you will need to redo everything;
• when the mixture settles, you can start planting vegetation.The order of planting depends on what device composition you come up with;
• first you need to plant coniferous shrubs. They are deepened into the soil through a circle cut through the film;
• in the next stage, it is possible to plant shrubs, flowers;
• when you finish working with vegetation, the film must be sprinkled with soil again;
• At the final stage, you need to add small stones and dumping for decoration.

For rock arias, you should select plants that are resistant to the climate of your region. You must choose varieties that do not need daily care. Despite the simplicity of the stone garden, it is periodically necessary to moisten it with water from a hose with a spray and add fertilizer. Adding soil produce 1 time in several years. For winter, vegetation is covered, and dried components are removed. If your rockeries has grown, it should be thinned out.

Every spring you need to produce a series of simple procedures that will help the stone garden to remain attractive:

• make cleaning of dry components;
• pruning shoots of soil-blooming plants that have begun to grow in an unnecessary direction;
• check the state of vegetation after wintering, in case of death replace old flowers with new ones;
• check how firmly the boulders are installed (if necessary, the composition should be strengthened);
• in early May, it is possible to sow annual vegetation;
• in the middle of the month you can plant seedlings;
• stones should always be the accent of your composition;
• weed and grind the soil;
• watering can begin after the soil dries to 8 cm;
• if necessary, carry out plant nutrition.

Designers can offer numerous ideas for creating unusual rockeries.You can use certain components to visually divide a mound into several compact zones, each of which will have its own season. A similar effect can be achieved using a selection of colors. For spring, you should choose delicate shades of flowers, for hot summer - saturated, for autumn leaf fall, you can stay on the golden and purple vegetation. Rockery is an amazing site that will give unforgettable emotions to your family and loved ones. You can always make adjustments to the design of the flower garden and change the style of the garden depending on your mood.

Many gardeners make solid rocky mounds of rock arias. For such a design, it is necessary to approach the choice of plant representatives more seriously: not every variety is able to withstand such conditions of stay. Pochvorniki and kamnelomki feel well in a similar flower garden.

Original personalities will love the option where rockeries play the role of a wall. This flower garden is a vertical structure, which will require a lot of effort to create. All your friends will appreciate this design step.Arrangement of an unusual stone garden with waving plants will be the final touch to the composition.

Some dacha owners decide to mix styles while creating a stone garden. Looks good combination of European style with Italian design. With the help of such a composition, you will receive a unique triumph of colors and fragrant flowers.

Bulk art ideas are popular. The 3D effect is achieved with a circular view of flower beds with various highlights. This rockeries will be appropriate in the recreation area. It is necessary to have a stone garden in such a way that it can be viewed from all sides.

A compact garden from Japan is able to impress everyone. In this style of stone blocks will command over small plants. Choose wicker grass varieties that have a pleasant aroma. Such a design evokes a feeling of peace and harmony.

How to make rockeries with their own hands will learn in the next video.