Landscaping is a very interesting direction, which is developing rapidly today. Each housewife wants to somehow decorate their territory or summer cottage in a special way. Not just to plant flowers, but to make original clubs from stones, lay out paths and equip a decorative pond. All this is quite achievable, the main thing is to devote to your site a sufficient amount of time and effort.
The case of the master is afraid
Indeed, to make a site beautiful and sophisticated, it is not necessary to hire a professional designer. Especially if you are constrained by money. You can easily make original and interesting flower beds from stones. You just need to show a little patience and perseverance. And here you will find our instructions useful.
Choose the right material for your future flower garden, decide on the shape and size and start embodying your dreams. Stone sides will prevent the shedding of soil and the exit of ornamental plants beyond the boundaries of their growth. It is also a great alternative to alpine hills and rockeries. Creating them is much simpler, but they look fantastic spectacular.
What it is
Since we have compared flower beds of stones with more complex decorative structures, it must be said how they differ. Alpine slide is an intricate structure that requires specific skills: you need to lay out drainage, take into account the necessary slope for draining excess moisture. And decoration with stones is only the final stage.
Flowerbeds made of stones are a simpler structure. In fact, this is just a border of the flowerbed with some structure. Stones play only an auxiliary decorative role. Such compositions are very popular due to the fact that they are easy to build with your own hands. This is an arbitrary flower garden in a garden with ordinary ground, decorated with cobble stones.
Different types
In fact, the choice is huge. Depending on the size of the plot, the number of flower beds and their size, on the height and width of the flowers planted, you can plan different flower beds made of stones. The most popular types of flower beds are:
- A simple bed with a curb of cobblestones that are adjusted to each other or fastened together with cement mortar. The second option is preferable, because flower beds are more reliable and durable.
- High construction that rises above ground level. Ampel plants planted on it will look very impressive. They can be laid out in various ways. In the first case, they are assembled entirely from cobblestones. The second option is simpler. First, containers for plants are installed in the garden, and then they are decorated with stones.
- Multilevel flower bed made of stone. This is one of the versions of the raised flower arrangement, when the structure is erected in several levels. It can be cascading flower beds made of stones adjacent to the wall of a house or other structure.
The overall picture will be the more spectacular the more organically its individual components are combined with each other. The choice of materials depends on the size of the flowerbed and the general idea, the selected plants. The larger the flower garden, the largest you can choose the cobblestones. And small compositions are best decorated with pebbles or gravel.
Material selection
Of course, you can be smart and go to the riverbank or out of town, where there is an opportunity to collect beautiful stones. If the flowerbed is small and there is enough time, then this option will be suitable. But most often, summer cottages are located within the city, and it is not possible to find such an amount of stone. Especially if you want it to look beautiful.
But it does not matter. Any construction company will offer you a huge amount of materials, including natural and artificial stone. That is, a beautiful flowerbed is a matter of technology, you just need to want it.
Cladding material and plants in the flowerbed
Only at first glance they are in no way interconnected. In fact, the rock type has an effect on the soil, can lead to liming, or, on the contrary, acidify. Therefore, if you want a beautiful flowerbed in your yard, you must immediately take into account the characteristics of the material and floral preferences. Let's look at some of them:
- Volcanic tuff. Finding it on sale is not as easy as we would like. But it was this material that showed itself especially well as a curbstone. Due to the porous structure, it allows moisture and air to pass through,
- Shell rock. Soft sedimentary rock that crumbles over time. Despite the fact that most gardeners like its white color, it is necessary to take into account the fact that this stone affects the acidity of the soil. As a result, only those plants that prefer a low alkaline soil reaction feel good about themselves.
- Gravel. Inexpensive material, which is most often used in order to fall asleep in separate areas. If the walls of the flowerbed are made of wire, then gravel may well serve as a filler without any cement.
- Granite stones. Most often, they are chosen for a flower bed in the country. Of course, granite is beautiful and durable. But one must take into account the fact that it contributes to the oxidation of the soil. It can be used for large flower beds.
- A natural stone. It is also called wild. It is necessary to inquire about its origin and clarify how it will affect the soil.
- Flagstone. To create from it flower beds in the country is a pleasure. The layered structure forms flat tiles of different sizes. As a result, they can only be stacked on top of each other - and the flowerbed is ready.
Decorative artificial stone
Of course, working with natural materials is always interesting. It allows you to create any design, original and beautiful. But not everyone wants to customize cobblestones of different sizes. It’s much easier to work with finished tiles that look like stone. There are also many opportunities for this today.
Artificial stone is created on the basis of stone chips with the addition of acrylic and various resins. As a result, it is very difficult to distinguish from the present, but the form will be exactly what you need. Beds made of wild stone are very beautiful and durable. In addition, they come out much cheaper than those made of natural materials. And this despite the fact that sometimes they look even more interesting. After all, they can be given any shade and texture in the production process.
River stone
On the one hand, it can be combined with the category of natural ones, but the constructions from it look completely different. These stones have a uniform, rounded shape. On the other hand, flower beds made of rounded boulders or pebbles look very neat and interesting. Therefore, if you live near the river, then just spend a little time and collect as many stones as it takes to decorate your flower bed.
The color of pebbles can be very different: gray and white, pink and blue. This allows you to make a real masterpiece. You can play in contrast not only sizes, but also colors.
The simplest designs
These are beds of large stones. In this case, no skills and training are required. Mark for yourself the path that will lead along the flower garden, and cover it with gravel. Draw a flower garden of arbitrary shape on the ground. It can be a star or a butterfly, but most often a circle or a rectangle. Now we take large cobblestones and begin to spread along the perimeter. Tap them lightly with a hammer and push them well against one another. Now it remains only to raise the soil level inside the structure so that the plants are not recessed in the flower garden.
Training
Since making a flower bed of stones is not too long, you can leave this work in the spring. Then at the end the very next day you can plant plants and wait for the lush greenery to frame the design. In order to lay it out with your own hands, you only need to follow the basic principles of breaking flower beds. The stages of creation are approximately the same and look as follows:
- selection and preparation of a place;
- selection of the shape of the future design;
- marking work;
- stone laying;
- backfill;
- planting plants.
Let's look at them in a little more detail, since each of these points is very important.
Where will the flower bed be located
You can make almost any design of stones with your own hands. It is important to determine a place for her in advance. Its shape depends on where the flower bed will be located. In open areas, compositions that are open from all sides are appropriate. They can be round or square. And along the walls they usually lay out semicircular structures.
Assess the quality of the soil on the site. If it is not fertile enough or completely unsuitable for growing flowers, then you need to change tactics. In this case, high flowerbeds are made of stone and filled with special soil. The height is needed so that the nutrient layer is enough for the development of plant roots. This is very true in wetlands. To create such a flower bed, a site in the shade of trees is not suitable. And the choice of plants that can normally exist under these conditions will be very limited.
The simplest flower garden
This is a usual border frame that looks spectacular if it is done in several rows. There are two ways to form it:
- lay out large stones around the perimeter;
- fasten them together with a solution.
Of course, the second option looks more reliable. But in any case, certain rules must be observed, otherwise by the end of the first season the flowerbed will lose its decorative effect. Here is some of them.
- Along the perimeter, you need to dig a small ditch, which in width will be equal to the stacked pebbles. If large elements will be used, then a groove of about 10–20 cm will be required.
- Its bottom is covered with rubble. This is important so that the flower garden does not sag or squint.
- Now you can lay out the basic elements. For example, they can form a large circle, and inside one more, slightly smaller and located slightly higher.
- Gravel is poured around the curb and compacted well.
These rules work if you want to create a structure from stones adjusted to each other. They do not contradict situations when a cement mortar is used. Just in the second case, the stones can not be strongly adjusted to each other, they will already hold perfectly. And the durability of the design will be much higher. But still there are some recommendations for creating a capital flower garden.
Stone frame "for centuries"
Flowerbeds made of stones and cement are created if you are sure that this area will not be used for something else. You can disassemble it, but it will require a lot of time and effort. Here is a step-by-step master class that will allow you to cope with the task quickly and easily.
The algorithm is as follows.
- It is necessary to precisely outline the shape. To do this, you can use pegs and a rope, as well as sprinkle sand or wood ash on the ground to make marking easier.
- On the perimeter you need to dig a groove 25 cm deep.
- Pour sand at least 15 cm high to the bottom.
- Prepare a thick cement mortar. It should not flow: it should be convenient to work with it.
- A layer of concrete mortar is poured into the bottom of the groove, after which laying begins. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the connective solution is not visible from the front side.
- The structure must be left to dry, after which you can begin to plant the plants. It is best to take 2-3 days.
The design of a flower bed made of stones can be very different. From the simplest border to complex, multi-stage structures. It all depends on your imagination and desire.
High designs
These are the most complex flower beds made of decorative stone. When creating them, it will be necessary to take into account the load. The higher and narrower the flowerbed, the more serious the pressure will be on the walls. Conversely, a wide and low curb practically does not feel the load. Such beds are good in that they can be built even in the center of a concrete yard. It is only necessary to bring in fertile soil and lay out the drainage. Creating a high flowerbed involves the mandatory use of retaining walls and cement mortar. Otherwise, the structure will fall apart very quickly. There are a few points to consider:
- When laying, you need two types of stones. Some will form the front wall, and others internal, expanding downward.
- To create the lower layers, you need to choose the most massive and reliable cobblestones.
- Between the stones, it is necessary to leave gaps not filled with mortar. This is necessary so that excess water can leave the flower bed without any obstacles.
- Be sure to lay a good layer of gravel and sand on the bottom of the finished frame to ensure drainage.
Knowing the basic principles, you can easily create a variety of designs on your site, each of which will become a unique embodiment of your imagination. That is, no one will have analogues.
Planting plants
As mentioned above, any design should be created taking into account which plants will be grown in it. Ordinary borders perfectly frame flower beds from tall, erect plants. Moreover, most gardeners mistakenly believe that if the fence is not high, then the plants should be stunted. On the contrary, marigolds, for example, can themselves play the role of a border, and therefore do not need one.
But ampelous plants, which tend to hang and bloom in cascades, look great on the upper floors of tall, multi-stage flower beds. Such a design will look beautiful and expensive, as if it was created by a famous landscape designer. Therefore, it is even more pleasant to accept compliments from friends.
Each flower bed can combine different types of plants. For example, in the center there is one large bush, and along the edge several smaller ones. From this appearance will benefit. And you can play with color, creating patterns due to opening corollas with different colors.
Instead of a conclusion
Even if you have never done landscape design, creating original flowerbeds from stones with your own hands will surely be a fascinating activity. This is an opportunity not only to prove oneself, but also to enjoy the result. Today we examined the basic principles of creating an original flowerbed with our own hands. A huge number of options: you can experiment with color and shape, height and material used. At the same time, only one's own imagination acts as a limiter of the idea. The material is not too expensive, and sometimes it can simply be found on the banks of the river or in the mountains. And if the house or cottage is located outside the city, then such a frame for a flowerbed can be completely free. Of course, this requires a certain amount of time. But the result is definitely worth the effort.