Rockary in the plane

The rockery on the plane is a flower garden in which stones are laid out on an even horizontal surface and plants are planted. The advantage of such a flower garden is that the gardener sees it as if from above, embracing with a glance all its beauty. An important advantage of rockeries is the relative simplicity of construction and maintenance. Under the rockery, the most sunny, open, conspicuous part of the garden is highlighted. Most often its area does not exceed 10-15 m2, which is quite enough to reflect the variety of shapes and colors of plants and stones and to give the flower garden an effect without much expense. In addition, this area of ​​rockaria is not difficult to care for its surface and plants. The creation of rockaria involves several stages.

The heeled flat area is carefully leveled, if necessary, and cleared of perennial rhizome weeds. To facilitate this process, many gardeners recommend pre-laying a plot with black film or a large sheet of roofing material, plywood or other opaque material, under which weed plants will die without sunlight. A good effect also gives a preliminary application of herbicides, for example, the preparation "Roundup".On the places where the stones will be laid, put pieces of polyethylene film, which pierce in several places to ensure the flow of water. The film prevents the growth of weeds and the penetration of their rhizomes under the stones, from where they will then be very difficult to extract. On the film, lay the stones flat or wider side down and press them into the surface to ensure stability.

Plantation of rockaria

Many different plants can be grown in rockeries, but for each one you need to select suitable conditions: more fragile to plant between the stones, where they are better protected, from the wind, shade-loving under the shadow of low trees, creeping over the stones they will becover with fluffy caps

Pay a lot of attention to the location and shape of the stones. Formless blocks are preferable to smooth rounded boulders. However, with a successful combination, any stone, even not too large, will do. Of medium-sized stones, groups can be created from small( 15-25 cm in diameter) small placers, and beautiful large stones should be placed singly in the environment of plants. It is not recommended to stack small stones one on another. The stones should ideally be combined in size and color. If the rockery has a background, adjacent to the fence or wall, there should be the largest stones that create the background.

Large unstable stones need to be dug into the ground. To do this, it is necessary to excavate a pit slightly larger than the base of the stone. The bottom of the groove can be lined with a film, put a stone in it and pour a bit of rubble under the base to create drainage. Soil around the stone must be carefully tampered, so that no voids and air pockets remain. You can try to stand on a stone, it should not sway under your weight.

The stones in the rockery should be laid parallel to the surface of the site itself, buried one third or half into pre-compacted soil. It is not recommended to put them with the point up.

Between the stones, but so as not to cover them, plants are planted. Particular preference should be given to plants with the original form of the bush, stably ornamental.

. Roads in rockeries on the

plane. In small rockeries, it is necessary to provide passageways between the stones for better soil aeration and easier care of plants. It is better to build paths in such a rockery from uneven angular tiles or flat natural stones, which are best combined with the environment of

( preferably evergreen), stunted, incapable of forming thickets.

It is not necessary to cover the entire surface of rock stone with stones. On the contrary, its charm is in the alternation of stones, crevices and miniature flowering lawns. Do not pile up a lot of stones, simplify the plan of rockery as much as possible, and most importantly - provide easy access to all its corners.