(Photography: Adobe Stock)
A rock garden may not seem like anything exciting but contrary to popular belief, they make up some of the most beautiful, textured gardens. Not only do they add depth and character, but they are easier to maintain throughout the year.
Shapes, sizes, textures and colours of natural stones give you endless creative possibilities. Using a combination of boulders, rocks and pebbles adds visual interest and can be incorporated into a variety of landscape styles, from formal gardens to naturalistic landscapes. Creating a dedicated rockery that swallows up part or all of your lawn means there’s less grass to mow, feed, water and weed.
Let us inspire you to create your own rock garden with these brilliant tips.
8 tips to building a beautiful rock garden
1. Bring the boulders
Boulders make a big visual impact, while small stones create a natural-looking ground cover or mulch. This makes it appear as though the plants are emerging spontaneously through them.
2. Golden glow
A sweep of golden sedum can glow up a garden corner. Sedum blooms from spring through to the end of summer, when the chartreuse flowers give way to zesty lime foliage. They add fascinating texture, colour and form to a scattering of boulders, rocks and stones.
3. Tough plants
Cacti and other succulents are a natural fit for rock gardens. They thrive on dry and nutrient-poor soils but still look terrific. Frame a spineless prickly pear (Opuntia ‘Burbank’) with a striking aloe and barrel cacti. Be careful when buying prickly pears as many species are banned.
4. Even the slopes
On a sloping site, let boulders be the stars of your garden at the same time as they stabilise the soil to help control erosion. Fill crevices and gaps with quality, well-draining soil and plant with low-growing, shallow-rooted plants. They will look as though they grow there naturally.
Add California Poppy, Gold Alyssum, Edelweiss or Mountain Sandwort among the boulders to add a bright pop of colour.
Blooms for the boulders
5. Work smarter
Landscaping with stone can bring a sense of durability and stability to your garden. No boulder shape is the same, so you get depth and character that can’t be blown away, won’t wither at season’s end and – best of all for those who are time poor – need any maintenance.
6. Get creative!
Be a bit arty in your rockery by adding a garden sculpture or two. Real lizards also love to lounge on a rock because stone absorbs heat during the day and radiates it back at night. This creates a warmer microclimate that may let you use plants from warmer climes in cooler climate areas.
7. Spotlight your faves
Creating a dedicated rockery can make everything look more open and spacious as you require fewer plants and fillers than a traditional garden design. It may also allow you to more fully appreciate the particular appeal of individual plant species.
Select Rock Cress, Phlox, Sempervivum or Lace Aloe to add some texture and colour to the rock garden.
Colour pops for rocks
8. Position the boulders
You may want to put boulders directly on the soil’s surface so you can see all the rock, but they should be buried into the soil by up to a third. That way, they sit well and won’t shift dangerously over time. It also gives a more natural look – you seldom see rocks perched on the soil surface in nature.
