Having free space on the site is an excellent opportunity to diversify the landscape by adding an unusual flower bed made of crushed stone or gravel. Such a flower garden will not cause problems during the maintenance process and will become an effective element of decor; it can be decorated exactly the way you want, thanks to the convenience of the source material. A do-it-yourself crushed stone flowerbed is an excellent option even for inexperienced gardeners. Everyone can create a real work of landscape art by showing their imagination.
Stones in garden landscape design
The art of garden design lies in the natural combination of basic natural components: plants, water and stone.
Artificial waterfall in the garden Source pinterest.com
Natural stones for landscape design are more expensive than artificial decorative materials, but have many advantages over them:
- unlimited service life;
- resistance to adverse weather conditions;
- strength;
- natural beauty;
- environmental safety (except for those cases when harmful chemical compounds are used during mining).
Design of the local area with coniferous plants and stones Source domik.ua
Unusual stone layout Source landshaftnyj-dizajn-v-izhevske.ru
Landscape designers classify all decorative stones according to their size and shape:
- Boulders: large rounded stones formed under the influence of natural elements and time.
- Cobblestones: rounded fragments of rock (quartz, jasper, granite, etc.) of medium size (10-30 cm), traditionally used for paving roads and building walls.
- Pebbles: rounded small (1-10 cm) fragments of rocks formed under the influence of water flows or coastal waves.
- Blocks: large-sized, unhewn stones with natural relief (irregularities, sharp chips, edges).
- Crushed stone: granular, loose material remaining after crushing rocks.
- Sand and stone chip screenings: fragments less than 5 mm in size.
Element of a rock garden on a site Source fotovmire.ru
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in landscaping work on sites.
Living Tower
Using a chain-link mesh and a soft substrate, you can create a low, but very picturesque tower, with the earth placed in the middle.
Sprouting plants completely cover the improvised living pole, which allows you to decorate the area in an unusual and original way, giving it bright and eye-catching accents.
Where to get stones for landscaping
Having decided on an idea for a garden composition, you can begin the task of finding the necessary material and transporting it to the site.
To get stones for the garden for free, you will have to be smart. It is worth searching the nearby areas for abandoned quarries, quarries, and dry reservoirs. Suitable stones can be found at demolished buildings and construction sites. If the areas are protected, you can negotiate with the workers to purchase the material.
Steps made of processed stone Source yandex.uz
You should not take stones from abandoned summer cottages and garden plots yourself: the territory may be privately owned, so this will be considered theft. It is better to go around the neighbors and find out from them the contacts of the rightful owner.
Pond and paths lined with stone Source ledidesign.ru
The easiest way to get stone for landscaping is to buy it from stone processing enterprises or companies that sell products for landscaping garden areas. The price varies depending on the size (fraction), type of stone (boulders, pebbles, crushed stone) and rock (granite, tuff, shell rock, expanded clay, dolomite, etc.).
Bright composition with a dry stream made of colored material Source archidea.com.ua
The material is sold in different units of measurement:
- fine-grained pebbles, pebbles, cobblestones are sold in packaged bags (40, 60 kg) or kilograms (1, 10 kg or ton);
- tumbled stone, flagstone, hewn tiles, slabs of granite, marble, etc. are sold per m2 (the price varies depending on the type of rock and thickness);
- large solid pieces of rock are sold in cubes and m2.
To determine approximately how many stones will be needed, you need to estimate the scale of the composition: 2-3 tons of material is approximately 1 m3.
Tools
To make a vertical flower bed, you need to prepare the following materials and tools:
- plastic container of suitable volume;
- polyethylene pipes;
- rigid metal mesh (chain-link);
- pallets/wooden boxes;
- pots/vases;
- lumber/logs;
- car tires;
- material for drainage (expanded clay, small pebbles);
- dark garden film;
- knife/scissors;
- wire/clamps;
- fertile soil;
- flower crops.
Ideas for using stone in the garden
Pebbles can be used in dozens of ways in the garden.
Rocky paths are the most practical option for using the material. For these purposes, you can use either special tumbled flagstone, cobblestones, crushed stone, or fine-grained screenings. Unlike paving slabs and concrete, even a beginner can lay such paths.
Paths lined with stone Source pipesz.ru
Using cobblestones of different sizes, textures, shapes and shades, you can give the path a natural look. The main thing is to choose pebbles of the same thickness, otherwise the paths will be dangerous for movement.
Cobblestones or pebbles can be laid in a straight line, in a “snake” or “zigzag” pattern: the shape should be selected for a specific composition.
Stone compositions look especially spectacular in combination with water: fountains, artificial ponds and springs, small pools.
Stones as a basis for a large waterfall Source yandex.uz
Using rock fragments, you can create an imitation of a dry stream. To make it look natural, you should look for a sample on the Internet or in magazines and rely on it when selecting and laying stones.
Choosing a location
You can place a stone flowerbed anywhere in the garden.
- Be sure to take into account the conditions necessary for the plants that are supposed to be planted there.
- Such a flower bed will definitely become an accent element of the design.
- A flower bed with stones will not require much attention.
Thinking through the idea of a composition
You can create a beautiful flower bed in different variations. Be sure to determine the type and type of flower garden. Perform composition planning. To do this, they create drawings, think through the content and layout. It is easier to carry out work on the ground according to a ready-made plan.
Composition of stones
Decorative stones for landscape design look great in composition with plants, flowers and trees.
Alpine slide on an uneven landscape Source freshplus.ru
Ideas for composition:
- Rockery is a rocky flower garden. It may have the same set of stones and plants as a rock garden, but unlike it, a rock garden is located on flat terrain.
- Rock garden: a fragment of a mountain landscape, recreated directly on a personal plot. To make the composition more holistic and durable, you should follow the basic rules: large stones are placed at the base, medium fragments complement it on the sides and top, and small pebbles and crushed stone dilute the picture.
- A multi-level garden of flowers and plants, in which stone structures serve as supports.
- An installation made of stones and metal, glass, wood: for such a composition there are no uniform principles of construction; the personal imagination of the creator is important here.
Pebbles at the base of the installation Source pinterest.com
You can dilute garden greenery with the help of gabions - structures made of a metal frame filled with cobblestones, pebbles or flagstone.
Small architectural form – “turtle” gabion Source pinterest.ru
What flowers are suitable for a vertical flower bed?
When choosing planting material for decorating a vertical flower bed, you need to take into account the following factors:
- the onset of the flowering phase;
- growth intensity;
- demands on soil;
- growing conditions;
- features of care.
Among the most popular and spectacular plants for decorating a finished structure are:
- evergreen crops;
- succulents;
- climbing plants (ampeled types of petunias);
- strawberry;
- greenery.
Only with an integrated approach will it be possible to maintain the high decorativeness of the created vertical flower bed or flower garden.
Advice! Among the annuals for decorating the vertical plane, it is better to choose nasturtium, begonia, lobelia, mirabilis, as well as brachycoma, eschscholzia, and alyssum.
Decorative pebbles for the garden
Pebbles are used for landscaping local and driveway areas, paving paths, and decorating lawns and flower beds.
Laying material in a circle for a decorative area Source skif.websmith.ru
This material looks harmonious with water features: swimming pools, fountains, artificial ponds.
Large boulders of natural shape Source yastroyu.ru
Using pebbles, you can create a platform for an outdoor summer shower.
Stones in a summer shower Source dkds.ru
Flower ball
An original and very unusual design of a flower bed, the shape of which is a ball, but for such beauty you will have to work hard.
To arrange a spherical flower bed you will need a fairly strong wire or a forged structure; it is lined with a durable substrate and covered with soil with planted flowers.
What can be made from large stones at the dacha
Large boulders and blocks can be used in many practical ways in the country.
Elements with a flat surface can be used to arrange a summer area or patio. Large boulders made of strong rocks (granite, marble) can become the basis for a table and chairs. To make the design more comfortable, stone seats can be covered with decorative pillows.
Relaxation area made of stone Source houzz.com
You can make a stylish barbecue from small cobblestones and metal rods.
Gabion in the shape of a barbecue - a practical solution for a recreation area Source gabion-russia.ru
The stone is also used in the construction and decoration of stoves, baths, saunas, and outbuildings.
Large gabion with barbecue Source pinterest.ca
Advantages and disadvantages
Before you create a vertical flower bed on your site, you need to become more familiar with its advantages and disadvantages. Among the positive aspects of arranging vertical flower beds it is worth noting:
- the possibility of effective zoning of a personal plot;
- minimal costs for obtaining consumables;
- ease of installation work;
- ease of maintenance;
- quick dismantling for winter storage;
- possibility of manufacturing a mobile structure;
- versatility of use;
- compactness;
- high decorative qualities.
Despite the whole list of advantages, vertical flower beds and flower beds also have their disadvantages, including:
- rapid depletion of soil substrate;
- need for frequent irrigation/feeding procedures;
- not suitable for growing perennial crops;
- additional shelter for the winter is required.
Vertical design of flower beds and flower beds allows you to save free space near the house, in the recreation area. Tip! To ensure that vertical flower beds made by yourself do not lack moisture, you can add polymer compounds - hydrogel - to the soil, or use mulch, or properly organize a drip irrigation system.
Arabesque
This type of stone flower beds is used quite rarely. This is due to the fact that the design of this flower bed is quite formal and suitable for decorating any government buildings.
The arabesque itself looks like a large canvas on which flowers are located. In addition, you can use your imagination and plant flowers so that they are arranged in a pattern.
Let us remind you that this method is one of the most expensive, since the canvas itself is quite large and you will have to plant a lot of flowers.
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In addition to the fact that planting flowers will take a lot of money, they are also very difficult to care for. They only need to be watered using a special hose with a special spray nozzle.
Considering that this method has quite a lot of inconveniences, it also has a plus. The main advantage of this method is that it looks incredibly beautiful and large-scale.
To summarize, this method of laying flower beds is only suitable if you have a fairly large dacha and have a lot of time and money.
But, if you have a rather small dacha area, then it is better to pay attention to other types of stone flower beds.
Rockery
Quite a beautiful and simple way. It is distinguished by its brightness and color contrast.
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The main plants present in rockeries are greens. As for the stones, the main feature is that the stones are selected in different shapes in order to diversify the appearance.
Making a rockery can be quite simple, here are instructions for making a beautiful rockery.
To begin, decide on the location of the flower bed and dig a trench for the stones.
After this, fill the trench with stones; it is advisable to lay the stones as tightly as possible so that your flowerbed does not fall apart over time. If you cannot fit the stones tightly, then fill the cracks with cement mortar.
Then, compact the stones tightly. If you have cracks in the stones, then lubricate them with sealant.
After the fence is completely secured, you can plant flowers.
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All! Your rock garden is ready!
How to lay crushed stone around trees
Compliance with installation technology will ensure long-term preservation of the decorative characteristics of the material. If preparation is not carried out before the procedure, the gravel will sink into the ground and become overgrown with weeds. The design and color combination are schematically recorded on paper in advance.
In the root circle of the tree, 5-10 cm of the top layer of soil is removed. The soil is leveled, compacted by hand and geotextiles are carefully laid. Agrofibre with a perforated surface will protect against water stagnation under the decor and will not allow weeds to sprout. Sand is evenly distributed over the film, layer thickness is 5 cm.
Decorative crushed stone under large plants Source s30668802513.mirtesen.ru
To prevent the coating from spreading, stones or narrow plastic strips are installed along the edges of the circle. Decorative painted crushed stone is poured onto the prepared area. In the design, the background of the root zone is first decorated, then stencils are used to apply a picture or text. Use your hands or a small rake to carefully distribute the material over the surface. Layer thickness – 3-4 cm.
Designer crushed stone under a tree Source yandex.ua
How to get rid of weeds in a rose bed?
The rose garden is difficult to weed by hand because roses have thorns. This means that mulching for a flower bed with roses is necessary. And also when manual weeding, new growth and young shoots are inevitably injured. And wounds caused by garden pruners at the base of the bush can cause root cancer.
To control weeds in a rose bed, you can use selective herbicides, for example, Cletodim. But at the same time, you need to remember that even if the drug does not get directly onto the roses, after treatment they feel depressed and grow poorly. Therefore, use Kletodim only in extreme cases, when there are a lot of weeds and there is no way to pull them out.
You can walk along the edge of a flower bed with roses with the herbicide Glyphosate. It destroys harmful weeds such as creeping wheatgrass. Glyphosate is applied using a special roller device. When there is fog and high air humidity, it is better not to use Glyphosate.
Despite the good effect of herbicides in getting rid of weeds, it is better to use them only in emergency cases. The use of poisons affects the well-being of roses. This is expressed in the pale color of the leaves, relatively small buds and elongated sprouts.
The best way to control weeds in a rose garden is to mulch open spaces in the flower bed with natural or artificial materials. In this case, not only the plants themselves benefit, but also the overall appearance of the flowerbed.
