How To Make A Rock Garden

Rock gardens, also known as Alpine gardens, are an interesting addition to any yard or garden space. Requiring little maintenance, they appeal to new gardeners as well as to advanced gardeners who are looking for a special way to showcase tiny or unusual plants that would get lost in a more formal planting.

The term refers to a garden laid out among rocks or decorated with rocks. Since the rocks themselves require no care and act as focal points, you can plant as few or as many plants and flowers as you want and still have an enjoyable view year round.

While requiring an initial investment of time and energy, rock gardens pay that back tenfold once established. A properly developed rock garden will be a source of beauty with minimal maintenance for years to come.

Planning it out

While the average gardener is used to a piecemeal approach to garden layout, rock gardens don’t work that way. At the very least, sketch out a basic design, perhaps leaving actual plant choice for the later stages. If you have a natural rock outcropping in your yard, start there. Study the color and texture of your rocks and note these on your plan. When you are hunting up additional rocks it is important that you match color and texture when possible.

If there is no natural rock in your yard (and this is often the case), take a ride around the outskirts of town and study the type of rocks that are indigenous to your area. Also consider how porous your rocks are. Rocks such as limestone are good because they absorb moisture and will cut down dramatically on difficult watering. Granite is a poor choice since it does not absorb water, making it more difficult to water embedded plants.

Getting started

Rock gardens are ideal for slopes. After all, the driving concept behind rock gardens is to recreate an alpine meadow in your yard. Slopes are hard to mow and uncomfortable to work on. Planting flower beds on a slope is difficult and they are hard to maintain as you grapple with water runoff and weeding.

Choose a sunny — or at least a mostly sunny — area for your rock garden. Most rock garden plants prefer lots of sunlight. If this is impossible, don’t despair: You can still create a rock garden but your plant choice will be more limited. Clean out any garden debris such as fallen branches and remove all undesirable rocks.

The next step is to clean the area of any and all grasses and perennial weeds. This is a must! Often you’ll be placing your plants in tiny soil plots scattered among the rocks. If they must compete with weeds or grass they don’t stand a chance. Weeding is a top priority in a new rock garden but, once established, the plants will crowd out most weeds and you will just have to pick out the occasional interloper.

Ideally you’ll have a boulder or two to anchor your rock garden. A rule of thumb: If the rock can be moved by one person it is too small to act as an anchor.

Tip and turn the anchors to find their most interesting facets. Once you’ve discovered which face you enjoy the most, it is time to get digging! Plan on sinking one-third of the anchor rocks into the soil. Mound up good-quality soil between them and add your medium-sized rocks. Finish up with small rocks as needed. Remember to strive for uniformity in color and texture. Keep gravel or crushed rock to fill in after planting.

Now is a good time to consider how you’ll water your rock garden. One method is to snake a perforated garden host among the rocks as you settle them into place. Later you can simply attach the perforated hose to a regular garden hose and allow the water to run.

Choosing your plants

Now comes the fun! Choose plants that thrive in your area. For convenience, much of your rock garden will consist of perennials but annuals have a place in the rock garden, too.

Shrubs and dwarf trees (especially evergreens) lend permanency and attractiveness to your rock garden year round. A rock garden bereft of these types of plants often looks barren and bleak in the winter months. Consider carefully before ignoring these rock garden staples. Good choices for most gardens include any of the dwarf conifers, or shrubs like boxwood, firethorn, dwarf rhododendron, and Scotch heather. Choose what grows best in your neighborhood.

Extend the color in your garden by planting pockets of early spring blooming bulbs. When smaller is better try crocus, grape hyacinth, glory of the snow, Siberian squill, and snowdrop. When you have more room and rocks that will complement taller flowers, try narcissus (more commonly known as daffodils or jonquils) and tulips. When the spring bulbs wither it is time to add your annuals; try alyssum, Dahlberg daisies, and pygmy marigolds.

As stated before, perennials are going to be the backbone of your rock garden. This list is far from comprehensive; you are limited only by you imagination. Favorite perennials include columbine, creeping baby’s breath, dwarf iris, edelweiss, lavender, lewisia, pachysandra, periwinkle, primrose, rockfoil, and snow in summer. Iceland poppy, which often grows as a biennial or annual in warm climates, and hen-and-chicks are must-haves.

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