If you are planning to build a rock garden (and I suggest you do need to plan) then here are a few tips that will help you avoid some of the problems I have encountered.
Rock Garden Tips
- Modern rock gardens can be a collection of standing stones looking like abstract sculptures, a formal Zen like Oriental space or a gravel garden with shapely rocks and rectangular constructions. I favour the informal Alpinesque Rockery that is primarily designed to provide a variety of habitats for plants.
- Consider the gradient in your garden as sloping gardens can be difficult to landscape in a formal manner. An informal Rockery needs to be firmly anchored with standing places for maintenance and culture.
- Aim for rocks with texture and character that harmonise with the local environment.
- Site your rocks in a display that is a pleasing feature in its own right before any planting.
- Consider the background, whilst most plants may be low growing a green shrubby background may set off the whole feature.
Choosing Stone for your Rockery
- Use local stone that fits in rather than detracts from the environment. If you have granite or slate locally then pale limestone can look very out of place.
- Aim for large stones as at least one third will be buried and size does matter.
- Try local quarries for stone rejected by builders as unsuitable for their purposes or salvage yards and tips.
- Do not skimp on the quality and quantity of stone.
Design Considerations for a Rockery
- You need access and the ability to move around the edges (I have difficulty getting the lawnmower where I need because I put the rockery to near a wall.)
- Work out your budget to get as big a rockery as possible with enough rocks without going bankrupt in the process.
- Arrange a transition area between the rockery and formal parts of the garden such as an edging or path with small stones or tufty grasses.
- Plan each stones placement with a staggered or layered effect from the main viewing point(s). Create planting pockets and space plus horizontal and vertical planting crevices.
- Place stones tilted backwards so they protect plants and do not cause water to run on to them causing rotting.
- Aim to keep the rock strata evenly matched and running in the same direction not just piled up or sprinkled aimlessly.
See also Rock Gardens in Miniature
