Do-it-yourself rock garden device from spicy herbs. Alpine slide

In the figure of the "spicy" alpine slide:
1 - hyssop;
2 - sage;
3 - oregano;
4 - monard;
5 - nasturtium;
6 - thyme;
7 - basil.

Build a "spicy" alpine slide in your garden, and get "two - in one": both beauty and benefit!

Types of fragrant edible plants for "spicy" slides

Many spice plants look great and grow successfully next to rock garden stones.

The "champion" of sprawling among the stones is thyme, or creeping thyme. Thyme is the main plant for the "spicy" slide.
In the wild, thyme grows on dry hillsides, in the steppes, on the edges of pine forests. In nature, there are many types of thyme; they are all decorative, fragrant and very similar in appearance.
Breeders have obtained many fragrant forms of thyme, not only with green, but also with yellow, variegated leaves.
Thyme blooms for a long time - from June to the end of summer; sometimes blooms again. Thyme flowers are pink, purple, white.
Thyme is used as a spice meat dishes, in sauces, and also add leaves and flowers to tea.
The use of thyme in medicine is also diverse. Thyme is especially popular as a cough remedy.

The most popular medicinal and spicy plant suitable for an alpine slide is oregano. Oregano essential oil is used to flavor soaps, creams, and shampoos.
Leaves and flowers of oregano are also used in medicine and in cooking (added to stews, gravies and sauces). Sprigs of oregano are placed when pickling cucumbers and mushrooms.

The most famous spice plant is mint. And this plant is also added to pickles and marinades, to various herbal teas and medicinal preparations. Menthol, which is part of mint, is the basis of many medicines.
Like oregano, mint is indispensable in cosmetics and perfumery, where it is mainly used as a cultivated species (unknown in wild nature) - peppermint.
But wild types of mint are decorative and very useful: for example, field mint, long-leaved, round-leaved, marsh (flea).

Mint and oregano can grow in one place of the allium for many years, but they like to "spread" to the sides. Therefore, from time to time it will be necessary to limit their growth.

Basil is not only beautiful, but also popular as a spice in cuisines. different peoples. This very fragrant annual plant has especially showy varieties with purple leaves of different shades.
Basil seedlings are planted on permanent place when the danger of frost has passed. But keep in mind that basil loves fertile soil. Therefore, on a hill for basil, a planting "pocket" with loose nutrient soil is made among the stones.

Hyssop has been known as a spicy and medicinal plant since ancient times. ABOUT healing properties hyssop was mentioned by Avicenna in the Canon of Medicine. This semi-shrub, undemanding to growing conditions, pleases with its blue, pink, white fragrant flowers until frost. You just need to cut flowering twigs to give the opportunity to grow a new, lateral. The hyssop bush from this becomes thicker.
Fresh or dry hyssop herb is used mixed with other spices for fragrant tea, and in cooking (in salads and soups, as a seasoning for meat dishes).
Hyssop can grow in one place for five to six years. Hyssop propagates by seeds and division of the bush.

Salvia officinalis middle lane grown as a 2-3-year-old crop, it is a heat-loving subshrub. Perennial sage can be rejuvenated by completely cutting off the branches.
Very fragrant, with a bitter-spicy taste, sage leaves are used in cooking as an additive to meat and poultry dishes. The famous Christmas turkey is invariably seasoned with sage.

Monarda has long settled in the gardens as ornamental plant, but as a spice in Russia, it is almost not known.
Types of monarda (double and piped monarda) outwardly differ little. In both species, the flowers are located on the stem in whorls of several "floors", and the leaves resemble field mint leaves.
Monarda blooms almost all summer. Its leaves are also used as a seasoning for meat, added to tea.
Monarda propagates by seeds (it is better to grow seedlings) or by dividing the bush.

Nasturtium is loved by many gardeners as a long-flowering beautiful plant. But so far, not many gardeners use nasturtium as a spice, only in decorative purposes grow up.
But in the homeland of nasturtium, in South America, the local population has long been eating spicy, fragrant leaves, flowers, unripe fruits of nasturtium, adding this wonderful plant to meat and vegetable dishes, to pickles and marinades, to sauces.

Series "Spice flavoring herbs"

perennials

Set of seeds of undersized perennials 9 herbs

This set is specially designed to make it convenient for you to plant and grow your favorite herbs beautifully and profitably.

The set includes low-growing, perennial spicy-flavoring herbs specially selected for alpine hills, borders, rocky gardens, rock massifs, balcony boxes or flower pots.

For you inside the package are enclosed detailed descriptions properties of each of the components of the set, their use in perfumery, home pharmacy and cooking.

Thin-tube chives (Allium schoenoprasumh) - perennial herbaceous plant onion family.

Bear onion (ramson, chenzeli, wild onion) (Allium ursinum L.) is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Onion family.

Hypericum perforatum L. is a perennial herbaceous plant of the St. John's wort family.

Lavender angustifolia (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) is a perennial, stemless, highly branched, evergreen subshrub of the Lamiaceae family.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita L) is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Lamiaceae family.

Common thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) is a small perennial subshrub of the Lamiaceae family.

Perennial mountain winter savory (Satureja montana L.) is a highly branched shrub of the Lamiaceae family.

Common leaf parsley or garden parsley (Petroselmum crispum) - biennial plant celery family.

Broad-leaved sorrel (Rumex acetosa) is a perennial herbaceous plant of the buckwheat family.

The joke of the Dutch writer Zonneveld that his country does not have enough mountains turned into the creation of a rock garden 2 km high!

Let's try to figure out how to create a rock garden on your own personal plot and what plants are suitable for this.

If you take an unconventional approach to creating a rock garden in your backyard, you can get an aesthetic flower-stone composition that will provide aromatherapy and herbal medicine, gourmet cuisine, and reliable protection from insects. All you need is to replace daylilies and conifers with herbs. And slightly correct their union.

How not to get lost in the herbs?

Before planting seeds, we immediately determine which herbs are most needed for your family's favorite dishes and which of them have the most pleasant aroma.

One of the most sought after herbs tarragon greens(tarragon). It is good for many salads, and its dried leaves are added as a seasoning to all kinds of dishes. And for pickling cucumbers and tomatoes, it is simply irreplaceable.

- one of the best spicy plants used in national Ukrainian dishes. Melissa lemon will not only decorate the flower bed, but also serve as a good ingredient to improve the taste of food. The very name "lemon melissa" indicates the presence of a pleasant lemon aroma and taste. It is used in salads, in the preparation of various medicinal preparations, soothing teas.

At thyme(creeping thyme) has excellent properties - it is convenient to settle down among the stones, bloom for a long time, from June to the end of summer. The flowers of this plant are pink, purple, white. You can’t do without thyme in seasoning for meat dishes, in sauces, and its leaves and flowers are also added to tea.

Definitely needed for rock garden and oregano- the most popular medicinal and spicy plant, the leaves and flowers of which are also used in medicine and in cooking (added to stews, gravies and sauces). Sprigs of oregano are placed when pickling cucumbers and mushrooms.

And of course, mint. It is added to pickles and marinades, to various herbal teas and medicinal preparations.

Still need to find a place on the hill and for basilica, hyssop, sage officinalis and nasturtium.

Preparing a cozy place

So, it's decided - we plant! AND optimal time for this - late spring. After all, many spices are very thermophilic and sensitive to the slightest cold snap.

rock garden located in a well-lit, visible area. We'll have to work hard and free the land from weeds, then loosen everything. Next, we lay expanded clay, crushed stone or gravel in the base to prevent moisture accumulation. From above, we fill the drainage with sand or pebbles, and then with a small layer of prepared soil.

It's time to scatter, or rather, carefully lay out the stones. In the center - the largest, behind them - the smaller ones. Since granite stones are multi-colored, you can experiment with both shape and color.

Then we fill the hill with peat, sand and soddy soil in equal proportions, where we will plant the plants.

Necessary take into account the height of the grass so that the "giants" do not block the undersized sun. Experienced gardeners are advised to give the center of the hill to perennial unpretentious crops. For example, one of the varieties of decorative onions. But keep in mind that perennials are not eternal. For example, lemon balm will give good harvest in one place for no more than 5 years in a row.

As an option: we place celery and lovage in the background, sow red basil as a border, and next - creeping thyme. It looks great and gives an amazing aroma green basil planted on the same perimeter with a rhombus, and hyssop can be placed inside it. An excellent frame for these plants will serve as chives and batun. The border is very decorative. curly parsley, and along the edges it would be nice to plant bush dill and coriander. At the very track experienced gardeners it is advised to put savory, lavender and mint.

On a note!

Basil skillfully repels not only flies and mosquitoes, but also more serious insects, for example, a tomato horned worm. Mint - cabbage scoop, anise - aphids, coriander - Colorado potato beetle.

Alpine slide do it yourself (video)

More material on the topic of the section:

At present, the Alpine slide has become a widespread element garden design. Indeed, the rock garden is a very attractive object of garden decoration, which can become the central element of the composition of the entire site.

Alpine hill.

At present, the Alpine slide has become a widespread element garden design. Really, rock garden a very attractive object of garden decoration, which can become a central element of the composition of the entire site.

The slide should be in harmony with other elements of the garden and with the overall style.

Properly forming a rock garden is a rather serious task. The task is greatly facilitated if the terrain of the site is uneven and it is possible to use a natural slope. But more often the sections are flat and in this case the appearance of a hill on the plane should be somehow justified. For example, a slide can gracefully support inner corner fence or decorate the roof of a wine cellar. A good combination of rock garden with a pond. In this case, the soil taken out when digging the pond is used.

The list of plants for the pond is quite large. These are miniature dwarf forms of coniferous trees and shrubs, and small decorative leaves and flowering shrubs, and numerous species of herbaceous perennials, especially ground cover species. You can also use numerous medium-sized bulbs.

Plants are planted between stones in groups, taking into account their growth. bulbous plants provide early spring bloom rocky garden.

Stones are used from a homogeneous material. Smooth boulders are more suitable for rockeries on a flat surface, blocks with sharp protrusions are more suitable for a high slide, and layered stone slabs- to create retaining walls and rocky terraces. The empty space between stones and plants can be decorated with crushed stone or gravel. Sometimes decorative colored filling is used for these purposes. In this case, the color of the materials used should be combined with the color of stones and plants.

Mixborder

At the heart of creating a beautiful garden is skillful design and competent planning. One of the elements of garden design is a mixborder. Mixborders are flower beds in which shrubs, roses, perennials and annuals are grown together. It's a favorite modern element decorative design, which allows you to preserve the beauty and attractiveness of the garden as long as possible. Mixborders allow you to fully appreciate the wealth flora(diverse shape of leaves, the widest range of colors of flowers, bark and leaves, the beauty of autumn foliage and berries, an abundance of shapes and outlines).

Traditionally, mixborders had a rectangular shape and were located along walls or hedges, while modern ones have a wide variety of shapes.

The border is a decorative border between different areas of the garden. Such border borders can be used as screens to mask an unsightly view, create a secluded corner, or separate one part of the garden from another.

A single flower bed is a free-standing border that is surrounded by a lawn or hard surface. Such landings are visible from all sides and there is no vertical background behind them. Such mixborders can be different shapes from arbitrary to strictly geometric in the garden regular style. The choice of specific plants of different species and varieties depends on this. And of course this choice depends on the lighting conditions and the soil. Different types plants require certain conditions, so you should think about which ones are right for you.

A well-planned mixborder can make you happy all year round from early spring to late autumn. It is not difficult to make a mixborder with spring and summer decorativeness, however, achieving attractiveness in late autumn and winter is not an easy task that requires the experience of a gardener. Creating a flower bed that at any moment looks like at an exhibition is an impossible task, but you can always do something worthwhile thanks to right choice plants.

A good border can be compared to a painting that has a well-thought-out composition and is made with the brush of an experienced master.

fragrant garden

Spicy herbs have long been used in cooking and medicinal purposes, and now began to be used in decorative plantings. Usually for herbs take away part large area, planned in a regular or symmetrical style, or grown in raised beds and containers.

If spicy herbs are constantly used for food, then they should be placed near the kitchen. Spicy herbs are almost all perennials. They are eaten in small quantities, which makes them a good permanent element of the composition. The choice of traditionally cultivated spice plants is extremely wide, and among them there are many species that, although not purely used in modern kitchen, are distinguished by beautiful leaves, flowers or a pleasant aroma. Plants can be planted in groups, depending on growth rate and size. Some plants, especially long-lived perennials or shrubs such as rosemary, thyme, and sage, fit wonderfully into a mixed border, where they can play a mixed role, presenting both decorative and culinary value.

Spicy herbs are used for food, drugs and elixirs, balms were prepared from them. Most fragrant herbs grow, leaving no chance for weeds to survive. When compiling a fragrance garden, you should focus on life cycle spicy herbs. For example, annuals include basil, coriander, marjoram, dill. There are biennials: such as parsley, cumin, angelica. Perennial spicy herbs are mint, lemon balm, fennel, tarragon, etc. Year after year, evergreen shrubs and semi-shrubs grow, such as rosemary, sage, lavender, St. John's wort. spice plants can be divided into groups various applications. For example, medicinal properties has mint, St. John's wort, chamomile. valerian, echinacea, sage. Herbs that enhance appetite include basil, thyme, anise, rosemary, parsley, coriander.

The so-called "tea herbs" are known: lemon balm, oregano, mint. Regularly harvesting, trimming bushes, you will stimulate the formation of young shoots. One of the main rules for creating a fragrance garden is moderation. Not only the layout or the materials used are important here, but the nuances and harmony of the smells of the plants you have chosen.

Many today arrange an Alpine hill at their summer cottage - this is beautiful and prestigious. We propose to create a rock garden from medicinal plants, which will not only please the eye, but also provide quick help with various summer ailments.

You need large stones to decorate the composition, as well as the alternation of plants that bloom in spring with those that bloom in summer and autumn. It is very important to combine low creeping landings at the edges with high and lush closer to the center. Therefore, along the edge of an alpine hill, it is good to plant creeping thyme - an evergreen branching shrub with thin woody stems ending in recumbent shoots.
Flowering shoots of thyme in July-August are decorated with small pinkish-lilac flowers. It is sown with seeds in spring or in August, and it is possible before winter in a sunny, dry place. In the first year, small green twigs will appear that require regular watering. They need to be pinned to the ground and sprinkled with earth. So the bushes will grow better, gradually forming a thick elegant rug. You can purchase perennials from a nursery or transplant from nature. Sprigs of thyme brewed with boiling water will help you with upset and bloating, a decoction will relieve coughs and colds, relieve inflammation and itching of the skin. Since ancient times, dried thyme has been added to fatty foods to improve its absorption.
Part of the border can be represented by daisies - perennial plants that form a dense green edge. From April to July, daisies will delight you with white or red basket flowers. Plants are easy to root by dividing the bushes of the purchased seedlings into 2-3 parts. It is better to plant them after 15-20 cm. The leaves of daisies have anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effects, so they can be applied to wounds and cuts, chewed with inflammation of the gums. spring fresh leaves added to salad to support the body during beriberi. A good addition to the border will be the caustic stonecrop - a low perennial with a thin creeping rhizome and numerous stems covered with small thick leaves.
From June to September it appears yellow flowers with sharp petals that successfully complement color scheme alpine hills at a time when many other plants have already faded. Stonecrop is propagated by dividing bushes and pieces of stems that can be planted directly into the ground. He loves sunny places with dry loose soil. Fresh stonecrop juice can be used to wipe age spots, it helps to reduce calluses and warts. However, do not take the juice inside - it is very poisonous. You can also plant a fragrant violet along the edge -perennial with a creeping root. She has beautiful rosettes of leaves and flowers of purple, pink, white color. Violet loves the morning rays of the sun, loose moist soil. A decoction of flowers, leaves and rhizomes of violets is good for coughing, and the juice contains bactericidal substances and is used for dermatitis.
The second row of the rock garden can be represented by already taller plants, for example, thick-leaved bergenia. Its lush rosettes of rounded, heart-shaped leaves will delight the eye from early spring until the first snow. At the very beginning of spring, flat inflorescences will appear on long pinkish leafless shoots, decorated with small pink flowers. Badan can be planted with both seeds and segments of rhizomes. It is extremely winter-hardy, it is not for nothing that it comes from Siberia. Badan is undemanding to soil and humidity, but loves the sun - it needs to be under direct rays at least 2-3 hours a day. In Tibetan and folk Russian medicine, the rhizome of bergenia is extremely valued - it is able to lower blood pressure, strengthen the walls of blood vessels. A decoction of the rhizome is used for inflammatory processes on the skin and mucous membranes, they are gargled with sore throat, stomatitis. And tea from bergenia leaves (it is better to take black-brown ones that have overwintered on a plant under the snow) also perfectly cleanses the kidneys.
Looks great in the second "ring" of plants and girlish feverfew. It is sown with seeds for seedlings, and then planted in the ground, where the plant exists for 3-4 years, then it needs to be replaced. Feverfew prefers sunny, warm places with loose, slightly alkaline soil. All types of pyrethrum have the ability to repel insects, which will undoubtedly come in handy on garden plot. And a decoction of the flowers of pyrethrum maiden, which must be collected at the beginning of flowering, is a remedy for headaches recognized in Europe.
In the center of the alpine slide, plant fairly tall plants, such as sandy immortelle. This is a perennial herbaceous shrub with white hairs and with basket inflorescences, which have a dark yellow involucre and lighter flowers. Dozens of baskets are collected in inflorescences resembling an inverted rowan brush. Immortelle is planted with seeds (they can even be taken from a pharmacy bag) in a sunny place with dry loose soil, cleared of weeds. Seeds are simply scattered on the ground, not buried in the soil. Water abundantly for germination. You can transplant a piece of immortelle rhizome from nature - in early spring or in August, removing all flowering stems. A decoction of immortelle flowers, collected at the beginning of flowering, has a powerful choleretic effect and is indispensable for liver diseases. Oregano is also appropriate at the top of the hill - a perennial herbaceous plant with dense dense bushes and white, purple, pink inflorescences. Oregano loves sunny places, light soils, propagated by seeds and dividing the bush - it is better to do this in early May. Oregano tea improves bowel function, enhances the formation of bile, has a diaphoretic and calming effect. It is especially beneficial for female body.
Stonecrop will also serve as a wonderful decoration for the upper part of the rock garden. magnificent -plant about 50 cm tall with wide bright crimson inflorescences and fleshy serrated leaves, which has the same properties as stonecrop. It propagates by pieces of stems that can be planted directly into the ground. Likes sunny places with dry soil. Spectacular inflorescences appear in September and delight the eye until frost.

Our grandmothers, growing strawberries, or strawberries, as we used to call them, were not particularly worried about mulching. But today this agricultural practice has become fundamental in achieving High Quality berries and reduce crop losses. Some might say it's troublesome. But practice shows that labor costs in this case pay off handsomely. In this article, we invite you to get acquainted with the nine the best materials for mulching garden strawberries.

Succulents are very versatile. Despite the fact that “kids” have always been considered more fashionable, the assortment of succulents with which you can decorate modern interior, it is worth taking a closer look. After all, colors, sizes, patterns, degree of pricklyness, influence on the interior are just a few of the parameters by which you can choose them. In this article we will talk about the five most fashionable succulents that miraculously transform modern interiors.

Mint was used by the Egyptians as far back as 1.5 thousand years BC. It has a strong aroma due to the high content of various essential oils with high volatility. Today, mint is used in medicine, perfumery, cosmetology, winemaking, cooking, ornamental gardening, and the confectionery industry. In this article, we will look at the most interesting varieties mint, and also talk about the features of growing this plant in the open field.

People began to grow crocuses 500 years before the advent of our era. Although the presence of these flowers in the garden is fleeting, we always look forward to the return of the heralds of spring in next year. Crocuses - one of the earliest primroses, whose flowering begins as soon as the snow melts. However, the timing of flowering may vary depending on the species and varieties. This article focuses on the earliest varieties of crocuses that bloom in late March and early April.

Shchi from early young cabbage in beef broth is hearty, fragrant and easy to prepare. In this recipe, you will learn how to cook delicious beef broth and cook light cabbage soup with this broth. early cabbage it cooks quickly, so it is placed in the pan at the same time as the rest of the vegetables, unlike autumn cabbage, which takes a little longer to cook. Ready cabbage soup can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Real cabbage soup is tastier than freshly cooked.

Blueberries - a rare promising berry culture in the gardens. Blueberries are a source of biologically active substances and vitamins, have antiscorbutic, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, tonic properties. Berries contain vitamins C, E, A, flavonoids, anthocyanins, trace elements - zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, as well as plant hormones - phytoestrogens. The taste of blueberries resembles a mixture of grapes and blueberries.

Looking at the variety of varieties of tomatoes, it is difficult not to get confused - the choice is very wide today. Even experienced gardeners he is annoying sometimes! However, it is not so difficult to understand the basics of selecting varieties “for yourself”. The main thing is to understand the peculiarities of culture and start experimenting. One of the easiest tomato groups to grow are varieties and hybrids with limited growth. They have always been appreciated by those gardeners who do not have much time and energy to care for the beds.

Once very popular under the name of room nettle, and then forgotten by everyone, coleuses today are one of the brightest garden and indoor plants. They are not in vain considered stars of the first magnitude for those who are looking primarily for non-standard colors. Easy to grow, but not so undemanding as to suit everyone, coleus require constant supervision. But if you take care of them, bushes of velvety unique leaves will easily outshine any competitor.

Salmon backbone baked in Provence herbs is a "supplier" of delicious pieces of fish pulp for light salad with fresh wild garlic leaves. The mushrooms are lightly fried olive oil and then drizzle with apple cider vinegar. Such mushrooms are tastier than ordinary pickled ones, and they are better suited for baked fish. Ramson and fresh dill coexist perfectly in one salad, emphasizing the flavor of each other. Garlic sharpness of wild garlic will saturate both salmon flesh and mushroom pieces.

Conifer tree or a shrub on the site is always great, and a lot of conifers is even better. Emerald needles of various shades decorate the garden at any time of the year, and phytoncides and essential oils, secreted by plants, not only flavor, but also make the air cleaner. Generally, most zoned adults coniferous plants, are considered very unpretentious trees and shrubs. But young seedlings are much more capricious and require competent care and attention.

Sakura is most often associated with Japan and its culture. Picnics in the shade flowering trees have long been an integral attribute of the meeting of spring in the Country rising sun. Financial and academic year here begins on April 1, when the magnificent sakura blossoms. Therefore, many significant moments in the life of the Japanese pass under the sign of their flowering. But sakura also grows well in cooler regions - certain types can be successfully grown even in Siberia.

It is very interesting for me to analyze how people's tastes and preferences for certain foods have changed over the centuries. What was once considered tasty and traded lost its value over time and, conversely, new fruit crops conquered their markets. Quince has been cultivated for more than 4 thousand years! And even in the 1st century BC. e. about 6 varieties of quince were known and even then the methods of its reproduction and cultivation were described.

Make your family happy and make themed Easter egg-shaped cottage cheese cookies! Your children will be happy to take part in the process - they will sift the flour, combine all the necessary ingredients, knead the dough and cut out intricate figures. Then they will watch with admiration as the pieces of dough turn into real ones. Easter eggs, and then with the same enthusiasm they will eat them with milk or tea. How to make such original cookies for Easter, read in our step by step recipe!

There are not so many decorative and deciduous favorites among tuberous crops. And the caladium is a true star among the variegated inhabitants of the interiors. Not everyone can decide to start a Caladium. This plant is demanding, and first of all - to care. But still, the rumors about the unusual capriciousness of the Caladium never justify. Attention and care allow you to avoid any difficulties when growing caladiums. And a plant can almost always forgive small mistakes.

We have prepared a hearty, incredibly appetizing and simply elementary dish for you today. This gravy is one hundred percent universal, as it will suit every side dish: vegetables, pasta, and anything. Gravy with chicken and mushrooms will save you in moments when there is no time or you don’t want to think too much about what to cook. Grab your favorite side dish (you can make this ahead of time to keep it hot), add gravy and dinner is ready! A real lifesaver.