Rock Gardens - A Different Type Of Gardening

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Spring has finally arrived - well, according to the calendar anyway - and here in the Northeast the temperatures are beginning to inch up, the sun is shinning a little more often but most important the snow is going away. Now I don't know about you but these changes start turning my attention to the outdoors, specifically the gardens.

Chances are you already have established flower beds and love them but I'd like to mention a type of garden you may or may not be familiar with - "A Rock Garden" - it's an alternative to the normal flower and vegetable garden.

Rock Garden Ideas - Better Homes & Gardens

I think the one element that fascinates me the most about this type of garden is the rocks. You may think at this moment I've got rocks in my head, after all a rock is a rock what's so special about them. Like so many things in nature rocks come in various sizes, shapes and color variations which when grouped together become quite interesting, now add in plants that accent the groups and you've got something that has an almost magical feel to it. Looking at the picture above can't you just imagine delicate little fairies emerging from between the plants - OK, I know let's move on.

So where do you put a rock garden and how big should it be, well if you're lucky enough to have a natural rocky slope in your yard your all set. However, if nature hasn't provided this perfect set up it will need to be created from scratch using topsoil and rocks.

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The picture above is an example of a simple rock garden accenting this homes front exterior - love the rocks - however you don't need to dig up the front lawn to achieve this look. Other areas to consider might be against an existing wall or fence, along the side of your home, lining a drive or walkway or the back of a garage, even within an existing garden would also look quite nice.

After choosing a spot for your new rock garden the logical next question is how big should it be. This of course is going to be entirely up to you, taking into consideration how much time you have and how much space you have to work with and the cost factor - you'll need topsoil, plants and rocks, that's one advantage of living in the Northeast there is such a history of stone walls here you'd be hard pressed to find a yard anywhere that doesn't have an abundance of rocks available.

Rock Garden Ideas - Better Homes & Gardens

The picture above is a perfect example of what I mentioned earlier about rocks having so much interest because of size, color and texture - mix in a vibrant colored plant to highlight the rocks and you've created a beautiful arrangement.

What to plant: You'll want to look for plants that are relatively small, try not to get caught up in whether the plants have flowers, the goal here is to find plants that are going to enhance and complement the rock clusters you've put together.

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Hens & Chicks which are pictured above are a perfect choice, they come in so many colors that the hardest part will no doubt be deciding which to buy. One of the great things about this plant is how easy it is to re-root, in fact if you only bought two plants you could break each into small pieces then mix together throughout the garden, in fact mixing several different varieties together looks great.

Rock Garden Ideas - Better Homes & Gardens

What you're mainly looking for are plants that spread - ground covers - and low growing flowering plants, the whole idea is to mix together plants that not only complement each other but enhance the rock formations.

Rock Garden Ideas - Better Homes & Gardens

Also don’t limit your choices to just plants, small dwarf evergreen shrubs can also be used and will add another texture to the garden. In fact if space permits add a few larger shrubs to the back of the garden, which works as a backdrop to really put the rock garden in the spot light. My husband and I love evergreens - whether it's dwarf or full size - we have not only used them in a couple of rock gardens we've had but also use them in our perennial gardens.

Again the variations of color and texture make a real statement, not to mention they stay green throughout the winter months. A few of our favorites are creeping juniper, dwarf mugo pine, birds nest spruce and blue-star juniper.

Rock Garden Ideas - Better Homes & Gardens

One last thing, flowering perennials and dwarf evergreens are not the only plants that looks great in a rock garden, consider using ornamental trees. The picture above shows a dwarf Japanese maple tree, these look wonderful in a garden - talk about a wow factor. I've had several of these - two reds and a variegated green - over the years, they are beautiful little trees.

If you're thinking about getting out into the garden and possibly wondering if something new is in order consider trying a rock garden.