A gravel garden appeared in our garden plots not so long ago, it looks very neat, beautiful and spectacular, which is why many summer residents and owners of private houses want to equip such a garden on their site. Anyone can make a gravel garden with their own hands, while it does not require special expenses to create it. The beauty of such a garden is based on a combination of gravel embankment and stunted plants and shrubs. Gravel is a good background for both flowering and non-flowering plants. Representatives of the coniferous family look very beautiful in such a garden. Compositions of plants in a gravel garden can be changed, from time to time updating its appearance.
Step-by-step creation of a gravel masterpiece
The procedure is as follows:
- At the first stage, you need to choose a placewhere you would like to equip a garden. If there is not much space on the site, it can even be created on an area of 1-1.5 sq.m.
- We carry out cost calculations and prepare materials.
- After the place is selected and the materials are purchased, you need to prepare the soil. Sandy soil is most convenient for creating such a garden, although it can be done everywhere. The site needs to be marked out, indicating its boundaries - to drive in pegs, pull the rope. Then a soil layer of 10-15 cm is removed from the soil. Particular attention should be paid to the removal of weeds along with the roots. Weeds are usually a major concern when caring for a gravel garden. After the soil layer and weeds are removed, the foundation pit with moistened soil is left for 7-10 days, during which time the weed roots will grow and they can be removed permanently.
- Then the site needs to be dug upadding baking powder to the soil - vermiculite, expanded clay sand, coarse sand. Thus, you will drain the soil so that excess moisture is removed from the roots of the plants, which will then be planted in this area. Organic fertilizers and peat can be added to the soil so that the planted plants are well received and grown.
- The soil needs to be slightly compacted and covered with geotextiles. Geotextiles will prevent weed germination and also keep the gravel layer from sagging.
- Now you can fall asleep gravel. Two options are possible here: to plant plants, and then to fill in a layer of gravel or crushed stone, or to make a backfill first, and then to plant plants. The first option seems more convenient, although many choose the second option. Gravel in the garden is not the only material that can be used. Pebble is also suitable for such a garden, its round shape and grayish color will look good against the background of lawns surrounding the garden. Large stones are not used when creating a garden of gravel.
- Creation of dividing borders. Borders will help preserve the boundaries of the garden, otherwise the roots of other plants will eventually penetrate the site, and the border of gravel will be washed out from the rains.
- Planting plants. If you decide to plant the plants after backfilling the gravel, in the places designated for this purpose the layer of gravel needs to be scooped up, a hole made in the agrofibre, indentations, and planted. Then remove unnecessary pieces of agrofibre, and carefully level the gravel.
Here's how it all looks:
This is an example of calculating the costs of gravel site devices; prices are quite relevant. Most likely you will not have to use geogrids - only if you will do work on a slope
Pebbles are a good choice for a gravel garden. In this case, a stone path was made over the main cover and a boardwalk was laid to make it easier to move around the garden
The border can be made of plastic, iron, brick or use a curbstone
To design the garden, you can use both gray gravel and multi-colored. Two colors create spectacular patterns
How to choose the right plants?
Trees and bushes
Plants are planted in groups or individually, so that they stand out against the background of gravel, and do not merge with each other, in this case the garden will look much less spectacular.
In the gravel garden, undersized and dwarf trees look beautiful - weeping willow, willow, birch, mountain ash. Vertical conifers - spruce, western thuja, very enliven the atmosphere in such a garden. Needles of different shades, a pyramidal shape of conifers decorate the garden. Of the shrubs, barberries and cotoneaster are suitable, they have an interesting shape of the crown and leaves, red fruits and leaves will be especially good in the garden in the fall.
Top 5 trees and shrubs with red foliage: //diz-cafe.com/ozelenenie/derevya-i-kustarniki-s-krasnoj-listvoj.html
Thickets of Cossack juniper can be located at the border of the garden. Against the background of gravel paths, the Japanese spirea with its round shape and delicate rounded inflorescences, the Arends saxifrage, in which both flowers and leaves are equally graceful, will die well.
Bushes of barberry with reddening foliage transform the garden, making it brighter
Tip. For a gravel garden, it is better to choose plants with a delicate leaf shape, shrubs and trees with an original crown shape. Pebbles or gravel will only emphasize the appearance of such plants, making the garden original and aesthetically attractive.
Herbaceous perennials
The garden will be decorated with crocuses and alpine edelweiss, forget-me-nots, wild tulips, bright multi-colored elegant flowers of grass carnations. In May, poppies will delight the eye.
Bushes of alpine asters, popularly known as septemberins, will be an adornment of your garden with gravel in the autumn.
It will also be useful material on choosing the best varieties of perennials for landscaping the garden: //diz-cafe.com/ozelenenie/mnogoletniki-na-leto.html
All types of stonecrops (ground cover plants) are perfectly suitable as plants for a gravel garden.
In such a decorative garden it is not necessary to plant all the plants. You can use, for example, arborvitae in large pots, geraniums. The same ground covers will grow well in the pot, and if you like to change the situation, tubs and pots with plants can be put in another place from time to time.
This garden is also decorated with plants in ceramic pots - geranium, petunia. They bloom beautifully, and you can place the pot anywhere
One of the main rules when creating a gravel garden is that there should not be too many plants, otherwise the original idea of creating such a garden will be lost.
Coniferous plants, trees and shrubs will help to place the main accents of the garden composition, and herbs and flowering plants will complete it.
Here, when decorating the garden, only conifers were used. It turned out very well, besides, such a garden is beautiful at any time of the year
In the gravel garden, you can use wooden flooring or lay a path of large flat decorative stones or saw cuts - it is convenient to walk on them, and, in addition, these are beautiful decorative elements.
You can learn more about how to make paths in the country with your own hands from the material: //diz-cafe.com/dekor/dorozhki-na-dache-svoimi-rukami.html
A very spectacular path created using gravel, decorative wattle and cuts
In general, the creation of a gravel garden is a work in which everyone can succeed. Good luck!
