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You are here: Home / Home-making / How to make a rock garden

How to make a rock garden

January 13, 2021 by Lisa Grable 4 Comments

A rock garden highlights alpine plants and other small perennials in a natural looking setting. This is a good time of year to do some planning and ordering for a new garden. Alpine plants are found in nature above the tree line. They most like good drainage, light, and a cold, dry winter. Even though we live in the South (zone 7b), The Gardener wanted to try a rock garden in a sloping bed near our house. After going to several meetings of our local chapter of North American Rock Garden Society, he came up with a plan.A rock garden highlights alpine plants and other small perennials in a natural looking setting. Plants include Lenten rose, columbine, and primrose.

What you need

You will need to prepare the soil for the garden. A recommended mix is 1/3 top soil, 1/3 leaf mold or humus (an aged compost), and 1/3 pea gravel or Permatill (an expanded slate with porous surfaces).

Prepare the bed by removing unwanted plants and weeds. You want the bed to be about 6 inches deep for the plants. You can dig and loosen the soil 3 inches down and add 3 inches on top of the rock garden soil mix. Surround the bed with garden edging (it can be stone, metal, or plastic). Use the provided metal stakes to pin it in place.

rock-garden-prep
rock-garden-edging

Decide where to place your plants, paying attention to their sunlight needs. After planting, have fun placing rocks and stones in the garden! We will continue on our quest for good-looking large rocks to landscape and add character to this little garden.

rock-garden-gravel-plants
rock-garden-plants

Rock garden plants

Here are some suggestions for plants that might do well in a southern rock garden:

Alabama wild ginger; columbine; Dwarf crested iris; Eastern shooting star; firefly snow crocus; green and gold; ice plant; Lenten rose (helleborus); Sibthorp’s primrose; trailing phlox; Virginia saxifrage

rock-garden-greenandgold
rock-garden-coral-bells
A rock garden highlights alpine plants and other small perennials in a natural looking setting. Plants include Lenten rose, columbine, and primrose.

Be sure to check these resource links for photos of garden layouts, suggested plants, and inspiration.

Resource links

  • https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=837
    • Rock gardening from the Royal Horticultural Society
  • http://www.rbge.org.uk/the-gardens/edinburgh/garden-features/rock-garden
    • The Rock Garden at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
  • http://www.homedit.com/rock-garden-ideas/
    • 20 Rock Garden Ideas from Home-DIT
  • https://www.nargs.org/reference/history-rock-gardening-north-america
    • The History of Rock Gardening in America from NARGS
  • https://www.nargs.org/photo-galleries
    • Rock garden plants photo galleries from NARGS
  • http://www.jlbg.org/
    • Juniper Level Botanic Garden
  • http://www.camforest.com/Herbaceous_Perennials_s/3.htm
    • Camellia Forest Nursery

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Filed Under: Home-making Tagged With: build a rock garden, gardening, how to make a rock garden, rock garden ideas, rock garden landscaping, rock garden plants

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Beverly

    January 24, 2021 at 1:24 pm

    Lisa,
    I want to add soem rock gardens. perfect timing. Congratulations, you are being featured at Over The Moon Linky Party. I hope you stop by. https://www.eclecticredbarn.com/2021/01/over-moon-linky-party_24.html
    Hugs,
    Bev

    Reply
    • Lisa Grable

      February 1, 2021 at 1:18 pm

      Hey Bev, I am so honored! Thanks so much!

      Reply
  2. marilyn1998

    January 22, 2021 at 4:39 pm

    Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Please stay safe and healthy. Come party with us at Over The Moon! Catapult your content Over The Moon! @marilyn_lesniak @EclecticRedBarn

    Reply
  3. marilyn1998

    April 12, 2020 at 12:16 am

    Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Pleas stay safe and healthy. Come party with us at Over The Moon! Catapult your content Over The Moon! @marilyn_lesniak @EclecticRedBarn

    Reply

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Lisa Grable, Casa BouquetI’m an educator, grandmother, classic movie fan, sewer and crafter, and I love Hawaii. Read more about me …

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