The use of dumps in the landscape - organic mulch, chipped or rounded small stones, sand, etc. - literally transforms the backyard. They can be used very widely - from paving paths and patios to decorating flower beds. Where accuracy is especially in demand, they cannot be dispensed with.
Mulching (namely, this is the name of the use of dumping of any kind) has a long history, its own traditions and laws. Every gardener knows about the beneficial properties of mulch: it helps to almost completely exterminate weeds; protects the soil from night frosts in the spring and autumn and from deep freezing in winter (for example, in places covered with nutshells it will be 10-15 cm, and in uncovered places - 20-25 cm or more); prevents overheating, drying and caking of the surface layers of the earth. In addition, some dumps can serve as a source of necessary substances for the soil (for example, needles can, where necessary, increase its acidity), create a barrier for pests and stimulate the reproduction of beneficial microorganisms.
The principles of using dumps change significantly over time. Their transformation is spurred both by the emergence of innovative materials and the birth of new styles. And if, say, in formal gardens (French, Italian, Moorish styles) they diligently sought to get rid of weeds by mulching large areas, then in naturgarden gardens, on the contrary, they welcome the invasion of wild plants and use dumping in a completely different context and in limited quantities - for example , to bring color to the garden palette.
All mulching materials are divided into organic and inorganic.
Colored decorative dumping is an invariable attribute of the design of alpine slides, rockeries, "dry streams" in Japanese gardens. With the help of bulk stone "mosaics", ornaments and panels, you can exclusively decorate the area of fountains, water cascades, the banks of miniature artificial ponds
organic dumps
These include widely used wood chips and bark, fallen needles, cones, pine nut shells, forest and marsh moss. Peat, hay, straw and rotted leaves are also included here, but the difference is that they are no longer used for decorative purposes, but purely for pine nut shell benefits of the cause - as a fertilizer that simultaneously retains moisture in the soil and eliminates the growth of weeds.
Organic dumping is a real find for those who want to save money while creating a beautiful and well-groomed garden. Okorje, technological chips, peat, shells, sphagnum - all these materials are either inexpensive in themselves, or are industrial waste from various industries, which also makes them quite cheap. And coniferous litter, spruce, pine or cedar cones, if possible, are generally easy to pick up on your own while walking through the forest, and in any quantities.
Perhaps the most popular variant of mulch - bark of Siberian pine and larch, so to speak, a by-product of woodworking enterprises. In the process of harvesting, the material is exposed to high-temperature effects, due to which it does not contain pests, microbes, and foreign impurities. It is especially good to use the bark for filling all conifers, heathers, rhododendrons, ferns. The bark rots for a long time and may not lose its decorative properties for two to three years. Sometimes it is dyed using only natural pigments.
Getting chips for dumping
Chips (sawdust, shavings) obtained from the trunks and stumps of trees. Like the bark, it can be dyed with organic dyes (yellow to black in color), although it is quite decorative on its own. This is an environmentally friendly material, most often made from hardwood. If you have a vegetable waste shredder in your arsenal of garden equipment, then you can make your own mulch chips from tree branches cut when thinning crowns.
Mulch from bark and wood chips is poured with a layer of 5-10 cm around the plants, leaving a small distance to the stems free for air circulation. Weeds must first be removed and the soil loosened. If a layer of geotextiles will be used, then you need to remove the sod, select the top layer of soil (to a depth of 10 cm for flower beds, 20-25 cm for trees and 15-20 cm for shrubs) and put complex fertilizers into the loose soil of the bottom. Then the site is leveled, lightly tamped, geotextiles are laid and mulch is laid. It is recommended to install a low but solid border along the backfill border - so it will not spread beyond the trunk circle or mixborder and gradually litter the lawn.
If the site is sunny, the layer of mulch can be quite thick, but in those places where there is always a shadow, it is better to make the filling thinner - otherwise water will stagnate under it for a long time and the roots of the plants will begin to rot
Pine nut shell
Excellent mulch is obtained from shells of pine nuts. Such filling promotes the development of beneficial microflora in the root system of plants, prevents soil erosion, and has good moisture and air permeability. Since the composition of the shell includes substances such as lignin, phytoncides, flavonoids, it does not rot and decompose for a long time and retains its decorative effect for five years, you only need to add a fresh portion of the material from time to time, and gently loosen the surface with a rake in spring.
In flower beds, shells cover the entire space between plants. Sod is removed under shrubs and trees (within a radius of at least 50 and 80-100 cm, respectively), the soil is dug up to a depth of 20-30 cm, compacted a little and covered with mulch with a layer of 7 to 15 cm. After that, so that it is not swept away by the wind, the shell should be spilled with water and lightly trampled.
In the spring, when cleaning the site after winter, decorative dumping should be renewed: they are slightly loosened, leveled and, if necessary, a fresh portion of the material is added. First of all, this is required by organic mulch, since in three to four years its lower layers rot, and it sags.
Decorative filling of the trunk circle
The disadvantage of the shell is that it is an excellent food for rodents, birds, which will attract them to plantings. The decorative properties of dumps of organic origin often make us forget about the caution of their use, and yet they all change the properties of soils in one way or another. For example, peat, needles, pine and especially spruce cones affect the agrochemical characteristics of the soil - as agricultural technicians say, they acidify it. Therefore, they can mulch only those plants that benefit from increased acidity - in particular, these are any conifers, heather, rhododendrons, hydrangea, blueberries - or use them in combination with fallen leaves, hay, ash. In addition, along with coniferous litter and cones, fungal diseases (rust, root rot, etc.) can be brought to the site, and they will easily spread from mulch to garden crops. Pre-treatment of the mulching material with fungicidal preparations will help protect against this.
From the shells, tree bark and wood chips, you can not only make decorative filling in flower beds, beds and tree circles, but also create a soft coating on recreation areas and paths in the depths of the garden. This process is not particularly laborious. It is necessary to remove 10-15 cm of the top layer of soil, compact the base well and cover it with mulch. If the soil moisture is high here, it is better to first arrange drainage in the form of a gravel cushion 5-10 cm thick, and then fill it on top of it.
Properties and approximate price of various organic dumps
inorganic deposits
The most common inorganic deposits are gravel, pebbles, crushed stone (stone chips), sand. Expanded clay, due to its unpretentious "appearance" and literal weightlessness (easily washed off with water), is used more for drainage, and not for decorative purposes, however, if you show imagination, he can contribute to creating the image of the garden.
Options for inorganic backfills
In small quantities, other inert materials may also be present on the site - for example, shells, glass pebbles (artificial soil) popular in the aquarium hobby, plastic granulate, or colored (environmentally friendly paints) bottle caps. True, their use should be limited by considerations of common sense and, above all, safety: it makes sense to make such dumping on high flower beds, be sure to surround it with a fence and assign them the role of certain accents rather than a background cover.
Inorganic dumps are good because they have a long service life, are not blown up by the wind and are not washed away by rains, and do not affect the composition of the soil in any way. However, they also have their drawbacks - it is difficult to remove small debris from such coatings, and besides, they do not accumulate water. The exception here is sand, which perfectly retains moisture, thereby creating a favorable microclimate near the surface of the earth.
Sand- the most accessible material, widely used in the improvement of adjacent territories. In addition to the usual quarry, washed and sifted river sand is sold, quartz (white and tinted with safe polymer dyes in all colors of the rainbow), calcined, intended for children's playgrounds, sandboxes and creating beach areas. A quality product does not contain impurities and has a homogeneous structure with the declared particle fraction (up to 1 or up to 3 mm).
The main advantage of inorganic mulch is durability, appearance and maintenance-free
The size of the stones used as backfills varies from 2 to 70 mm.
Especially popular with buyers is river and sea pebble, but it is relatively expensive and not available everywhere. However, the modern market offers its artificial counterpart. Moreover, this is not a polymer in its pure form, but a material that also contains natural components - quartzite, marble, gypsum. A wide color palette and the ability to imitate rare, and even unprecedented in nature, rock types are achieved thanks to coloring pigments.
Unlike rounded pebbles, gravel can be both smooth, rounded shapes, and angular. Natural shades - pinkish, beige, blue - make it attractive enough to be used in landscape design. Often, gravel filling is included in a composition made from different types of stones.
Even at the design stage, it is necessary to consider: will the planned composition withstand annual climate changes? You can invest a lot of money in a high-quality project and special effects, but, for example, a normal spring flood will mix with the soil or simply wash away expensive stone fill in the coastal zone of a pond or stream. The solution in this case may be the use of a special gravel film. If you lay out the coast with such material, then in the spring all the gravel will remain in the same place, despite the sharp change in the water level.
The widest decorative potential has stone chips, which is produced from a variety of rocks - marble, granite, limestone, quartzite, solar goldite, spotted emerald serpentine, multi-colored felsite, etc. The material is obtained by crushing, so the stones have an irregular shape and sharp chips, however, subjected to mechanical polishing - tumbling, they become completely smooth. In garden plots, tumbled crumb is preferable to untreated gravel, since it cannot injure a child, does not injure a dog's paws, and does not puncture a bicycle tire.
One of the main functions of stone fills is covering the blind area and footpaths, and not only secondary, as in the case of organic mulch, but also lying in the front part of the garden. (For car access, it is better to lay a hard tile or concrete canvas: cars slip on a loose coating, it is difficult to clean it from snow and ice.)
Ornamental plants are undoubtedly the main decoration of the garden. However, there are other materials that can decorate the landscape. These can be various stones, fences, small architectural forms, as well as decorative dumping, which have become increasingly popular in recent years. Decorative dumping is called bulk materials of various fractions used for decorative soil mulching. It can be stone chips, large and small gravel, pebbles, shells, sand, wood chips (including painted), bark, pine nut shells, as well as artificial decorative “pebbles” made of glass or plastic.
As a decorative backfill, natural or artificial bulk materials used for soil mulching can be used. Decorative filling is used in landscape design quite widely: in the construction of rose gardens, alpine slides, decorative ponds, Japanese stone gardens, to decorate garden paths and flower beds. By combining different types and colors of backfill, you can achieve a stunning decorative effect. In addition, mulching is good for the soil, it protects the soil from excessive evaporation of moisture.
The use of various decorative dumps in the landscape design of the site can completely transform the appearance of your property. A number of decorative compositions - a Japanese "dry" landscape, a rock garden or rockery, a sandy garden, a landscape pond - are almost unthinkable without some kind of dumping. In addition, they can be used to create paths and patios, and for decorating flower beds, and for many other purposes.
Mulching the soil under the plants protects it from excessive evaporation of moisture. And using colored decorative chips in the garden, multi-colored glass, filling with crushed stone of various fractions and shades, you can achieve completely unusual effects.
Among these dumps, the most popular are cedar husks and pine bark. First of all, the advantages of pine bark include a long service life: the bark does not rot for a long time (especially large fractions), does not burn out. Still, such backfilling is an environmentally friendly material that fits into landscape compositions.
Wood chips and cedar husks are dyed in different colors and thus provide ample scope for color experimentation in the garden. Staining of wood chips is made with environmentally friendly paints. Of course, using colorful wood chips in the garden should be done with care: both the color of the mulch and the composition should be consistent with the surroundings.
Too bright colors of colored wood chips are out of place in landscape compositions. But a variety of colorings will allow you to create colored soft tracks. The indisputable common advantage of these dumps is their cheapness. These materials themselves are inexpensive, and some of them (chips, bark) are by-products of wood processing industries.
When using organic fills in flowerbeds, in circles of trees - wherever they are laid directly on the ground - you need to keep in mind that over time, the rotting bottom layer of mulch changes the composition of the soil. Most of the organic dumps acidify the soil. For some plants, this property of decorative dumping can be an advantage - for example, for rhododendrons.
When laying decorative filling on the ground, it is advisable to add a small amount of material every year - firstly, this will allow you to maintain the appearance, and secondly, it provides compensation for decay.
Another unusual type of mulching are cones. Filling from them is well suited for decorating the near-trunk circles of coniferous plants and as a supplement to mulching with bark. Compositions with filling from such a mix imitate coniferous undergrowth well, adding naturalness to the garden.
It must be understood that any wood dumping has a shorter service life than artificial ones. Sooner or later, the material will have to be replaced with a new one, and it is also necessary to add a new layer of bark every year. In addition, wood fills make the soil more acidic over time. Consider this when choosing plants for the garden, for example, rhododendrons just need acidified soil.
Organic wood litter weighs little and is easily carried by the wind. Therefore, a low finish is needed along the edges of the decorated area, for example, from stones or a lawn edge. This will help to avoid transferring the fill to the grass from the effects of wind.
Inorganic fills are great for decorating ponds, alpine slides, rockeries and sandy gardens. With the help of waves, stripes and circles of gravel and crumbs, you can accentuate a spectacular plant; for this, filling is chosen in contrast with the color of the leaves and flowers. Large surfaces covered with a homogeneous material of the same color, or a combination of areas of contrasting colors, look most impressive. Stone dumps are divided into gravel, pebbles and crumbs, depending on the size and shape of the pebbles.
The advantage of inorganic deposits lies primarily in their long service life. Gravel filling does not crumble, does not change its appearance. Stone fills require almost no maintenance. In addition, gravel filling protects the soil from overheating and water does not linger.
Finely crushed natural stone has chipped sharp or
rounded surfaces. There is mono-mineral gravel, for example, from granite, and mixtures of different rocks: granite, sandstone, slate, marble and quartzite. It has many shades, which allows you to harmoniously "fit" it into any landscape design. Does not retain air and moisture, the soil under it does not overheat. The material is durable, does not fade, relatively
inexpensive.
It is a rounded small stones, rounded and polished by a river or sea wave. As a backfill, decorative pebbles are used - river, beige and sandy colors, and sea "shell rock" - gray, beige, brown and light pink. There is also man-made pebbles made in a special stone-working machine. For its manufacture use
marble, granite, gneiss, quartzite, slate. From flagstone, pebbles are flat, and if the starting material was rubble, it is voluminous. There are many multi-colored pebbles in pebbles, it is very decorative. The material is smooth, forms surfaces with a soft texture. Pebbles have a long service life and require almost no maintenance. The cost of all kinds of pebbles is enough
high.
This is the smallest of the materials of the "stone" line: from 2.5 to 6 mm. There is granite, marble, quartzite chips, from anthracite, siltstone, shungite, etc. Natural granite chips - a mixture of sand, gray and reddish shades. Dyed comes in all colors, from dandelion yellow to Prussian blue, but it is much more expensive than natural blue. It must be borne in mind that under granites and shales, the soil acidifies quite quickly. In shady areas of the garden, you can not use marble chips, moss and mold quickly attack it there. In addition, the crumb eventually “leaks” into the ground, so it’s better to put geotextiles under it, and protect it from spilling with a curb.
Dumping from other materials
As a spectacular addition, you can use unusual types of dumping, such as seashells and colored glass. They are especially beautiful in the design of reservoirs and dry streams. Small glass balls of blue, green and purple
flowers look very original with white shells and large bluish-gray pebbles.
Use of dumps in the landscape
The most widespread decorative dumping received in the design of paths and patios. However, they can also be used as a decorative mulch in flowerbeds, as a low-maintenance alternative to lawns, and for decorating tree trunks.
To create paths, all types of decorative fillings (including organic ones) can be used. To form such a path, a shallow pit is dug, geotextiles are laid (to prevent weeds from sprouting from the soil), after which the backfill is poured. The optimal layer is about 7-10 centimeters. So that the path does not “spread”, you can strengthen its edges - for example, lay them out with a stone of a larger fraction.
Using the same technology, large free spaces can also be decorated with backfill (as an alternative to a lawn or, for example, as an element of a Japanese dry garden). By combining dumping of different colors and fractions, you can achieve interesting effects. To diversify the composition, you can add one or two expressive green plants to it. To do this, a crosswise incision is made in the geotextile, a plant is planted in the resulting hole.
In addition, dumping can also be used as elements of various decorative compositions - for example, to create "stone screes" on alpine hills, in rockeries, on the shore of a reservoir. Sometimes dumping can serve to emphasize and highlight certain specific plants. In this case, it is a good idea to choose a backfill that contrasts in color with the foliage of the plant.
Decorative mulching with organic materials can also be an excellent option when establishing a garden and planting perennials. As you know, the first or second years after planting are traditionally losing for most perennials.
If you plant them at a distance that is optimal for their further growth and development, bare ground will inevitably remain between the flowers, which most gardeners do not like so much. However, if you decorate these spaces, for example, with wood chips, then the “voids” will look like part of the design idea, and the garden as a whole will take on a complete look.
In contact with
Ornamental plants are undoubtedly the main decoration of the garden. However, there are other materials that can decorate the landscape. These can be various stones, fences, small architectural forms, as well as decorative dumping, which have become increasingly popular in recent years. This is an easy and simple way to improve the suburban area. It is worth understanding in more detail what they are and how to use them.
Decorative dumps
With the help of decorative dumping, you can change the look of the garden:
- re-emphasise,
- create an individual style.
In addition, the dumps are excellent mulch:
- weeds grow slower
- moisture evaporation is reduced
- crust does not form on the soil surface.
Dumps can also be used as a replacement for a classic lawn.
For decorative filling in landscape design, a variety of bulk materials are used - organic And inorganic.
Decorative inorganic fills
Inorganic deposits include:
- gravel,
- pebbles
- baby,
- seashells,
- colored glass.
Inorganic decorative fillings are great for decorating ponds, alpine slides, rockeries and sandy gardens.
- With the help of waves, stripes and circles of gravel and crumbs, a beautiful plant can be distinguished: for this, they choose backfilling, contrasting coloring of leaves and flowers.
- Large surfaces covered with a homogeneous material of the same color, or a combination of areas of contrasting colors, look most impressive.
Advantages of inorganic deposits:
- long service life,
- unchanged appearance.
- they require almost no care,
- protect the soil from overheating and do not retain water,
- they do not need to be fertilized, watered, mowed,
- plants germinated from arrived seeds are easy to weed out,
- in spring, places with decorative filling are the first to thaw, and you can immediately walk on them.
Cons of inorganic dumps:
- fairly light littering with plant litter,
- however, cleaning is also not very burdensome, an ordinary broom will help here.
Decorative gravel and pebbles
Crushed granite gravel of various fractions, river and sea pebbles are often used as backfill. They are small fractions of natural stone with rounded or pointed shapes.
- The intricate pattern of gravel in different shades and sizes of stone creates an interesting sense of decorative landscape.
- Rounded, or vice versa, rigid contours of the pattern of dumping create a peculiar effect, due to which the site looks more attractive.
Decorative crumbs
This is the smallest of the materials of the "stone" line.
- Happens granite , marble , quartzite chit.
- Natural granite chips - a mixture of sand, gray and reddish shades.
- It can be painted in any color, but such a crumb is much more expensive than natural.
It must be borne in mind that under granites and shales, the soil quickly becomes acidic.
In shady areas of the garden, you can not use marble chips, moss and mold quickly attack it there. In addition, the crumb eventually “leaks” into the ground, so it’s better to put geotextiles under it, and protect it from spilling with a curb.
Decorative shells and glass
As a spectacular addition, you can use unusual types of dumping, such as seashells And colored glass .
- They are especially beautiful in the design of reservoirs and dry streams.
- Small glass balls of blue, green and purple look very original with white shells and large bluish-gray pebbles.
Decorative organic dumps
Among the decorative organic dumps, the most popular are:
- cedar husk,
- pine bark,
- wood chip.
Most organic dumps acidify the soil!
When using decorative fillings of organic origin in flowerbeds, tree trunks, etc. - wherever they are laid directly on the ground, it should be borne in mind that the lower layer of mulch that rots over time changes the composition of the soil on which it lies.
Pros of organic dumping:
- of course, a common plus of all organic dumping is their cheapness,
- spectacular appearance that creates a feeling of warmth and comfort.
Cons of organic dumping:
- Relatively short service life
- relative lightness of the material.
Decorative pieces of bark
- Like pine nut shells, pine bark is very durable,
- does not rot for a long time,
- does not fade in the sun
- is environmentally friendly and safe for humans and the environment.
Decorative dumping from wood chips and husks
Wood decorative chips, cedar husks are used both in their natural form and dyed.
- With colored materials, you get a wide palette of colors to experiment with in the garden.
- But remember, bright saturated colors are inappropriate for a landscape style, and they are perfect for paths and playgrounds.
How to make decorative filling with your own hands
Before starting work, it is better to draw a layout plan for the site so that the new garden design element does not “stick out” like a foreign body in the middle of the landscape. Try not to choose strictly geometric shapes.
Where to start dumping:
- it is necessary to remove the top fertile soil layer,
- pick the roots of weeds,
- carefully level and compact the soil.
- Then lay dense geotextile or spunbond.
Covering material is better to take black.
- If you want to place plants on the backfill, you need to make cruciform cuts in the geotextile.
- So that the dumping of different colors does not mix, it is necessary to install a border tape along the contour of the picture.
- If you are making a path, then it is better to strengthen its edges with a stone or the same curb tape.
Immediately after laying, the decorative coating must be leveled, compacted and spilled with water.
Consumption of decorative filling
- When backfilling, the layer thickness stone chips usually does not exceed 5 cm. On average, 4 large (12-liter) buckets of material are used per 1 m².
- Thickness of decorative dumps from organic materials - 5-8 cm. On the track, the layer is made thicker - 7-10 mm.
- One bag (60 l) wood chips enough to cover 1 m² with a layer of 3 cm.
- Bag pine nut shells on the same area will give a layer of 4 cm.
Dumping - fine-grained, mainly rocks, mined separately or obtained as a result of sorting at mining and processing enterprises. The offered breeds are distinguished by their colorful appearance at an affordable cost.
Until quite recently, various types of stone for backfilling were considered predominantly rock working and, accordingly, were used at best as aggregates in various construction works. Over time, everything has changed, because Western fashion for landscape design has come to us, where such materials are highly valued and used to create a variety of compositions.
Today, the crumb and dumping of stones of a number of rocks are widely used by designers in a number of areas. With their help, you can create very interesting, original, and most importantly - practical and durable decors with an emphasis on naturalness, naturalness.
If you need dumping, the Ecostones company offers to buy it. We have an extensive range of products collected from all over Russia. Based on our materials, you can create a variety of compositions with a bias towards the sea, alpine or any other theme.
We are ready to offer all types of materials that are in demand today, in particular:
- marble chips of different colors;
- river and sea pebbles;
- a crumb of jasper;
- a crumb of a coil;
- beautiful Dagestan shells.
The prices for dumping in the assortment vary depending on the breed you choose, but all of them are affordable and allow you to purchase materials in any required quantity without overloading your own budget.
Beautiful natural landscape design element
There are a lot of applications for decorative backfilling. First of all, this is the paving of landscape gardening paths, where such materials show their best side. They look elegant and are very practical at the same time due to ease of care and good moisture permeability. Puddles will never appear on a path paved with small pebbles, it is easy to level it and, if necessary, renew it by simply adding pebbles. Also, decorative filling looks good in landscape decor as a design for flower beds, rose gardens, alpine slides and other similar elements.
The Ecostones company offers to buy crumbs, shells and pebbles for backfilling in any quantity you require. Prices are affordable. There is a possibility of delivery across Moscow and MO. For large customers - preferential terms!
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