How to Create a Rock Garden
Rock gardens are an unusual, unique and beautiful additions to our homes when done correctly. Rock gardens can also help make typically unremarkable flowers and plants look more interesting. Here are the things you need to know and do when creating a rock garden.
The Site
A rock garden can either be in a small space or a wide, sprawling area. The ideal location for a rock garden should be facing southeast, for your plants to have a premium amount of sunlight without drying them out.
The site could be on a a level part of your lawn or on a natural slope. Once you’ve decided which part of the garden will be a rock garden, section it off using posts and a long string.
The Soil
Excavate the area by digging at least a foot and getting rid of any weeds and their roots. To make an artificial bed, dig down around three feet and fill in the foundation with brick, concrete, limestone or sandstone. Keep in mind that the higher the wall of your rockbed, the safer it is from pets getting to the flowers on top.
The Drainage
The drainage layer absorbs excess moisture from the upper layers. The drainage layer can be made up of old pieces of concrete, bricks, broken pieces of clay pots and irregular, clunky rocks. Make sure that the materials are evenly distributed and they fill about a third of the excavation.
The Sand Layer
The sand layer is what holds up the topsoil and at the same time acts as a quick way for the excess moisture to permeate from the top. Put a seven to nine inches of coarse sand on top of the drainage layer and the soil layer.
The Soil Layer
The soil layer is where the plants in your rock garden will grow. Make sure that your soil is healthy and has the optimum amount of drainage. Most rock garden plants prefer a combination of one part topsoil, one part leaf mold and one part small gravel.
The Rocks
Choose the rocks you wish to use in your rock garden. Consider their shape, size and color for an interesting combination of rocks. You can use either the rocks that are already available in your landscape, or you can go to your nearest home improvement stores or rock landscaping dealers. Make sure you have help when transporting the rocks!
When installing boulder-type rocks, make a little hole around 1/3 of the way in to make sure it’s in a fixed position.
The Flowers
Let the soil settle in for about a week or so. Sprinkle some flower seeds on the surface. Ask your gardening shop what the best flowers are for rock gardens. Give it a few weeks, and you’ll have a very natural-looking rock garden.