Rock garden?

[Goldens]

I have a big area at the back of my yard that has me stumped. I don't know what to do with it. It has a large purple leaved tree and a crabapple tree at the back with an evergreen shrub off to the side. The rest is a mix of rocks, gravel, grass and weeds. Right now I'm just keeping it mowed down as best I can. But I wondered if I should work with what's there and turn it into a rock garden. Well, it would be more of a 'stone/rock/ground cover' garden.

Has anyone started one of these from scratch? I'd love to hear how you approached the design, plant selection and the 'groundwork'.

[earwig]

I have done two little ones but I also volunteer at a public Rock Garden which twiged my interest and learning by doing is the best way to learn IMO.
In fact I have to head out there this morning so will try tonight to write out a few thoughts if others haven't done so by then.

[Elena Zimmerman]

Absolutely. Last year my mom brought me a few alpines, and I had a bunch of rocks left in the yard that borded sickly trees (removed) and a weedy gravel pad. So I've turned it into a rock garden and it was the best bed ever! So, this year I cleaned up and pulled up a couple of huge bushes from the side of the house and turned it into a rock garden too. Seeing I am not a construction worker I went for the dry river bed look. I will be posting updated garden pictures in a few days, so if you are curious, you can check them out

[Goldens]

I would love to see pictures of the rock gardens you have created.

I've ordered a few books on the topic and I'm reading up on the Internet, too.

[Countryboy]

I had a client once who went with the dry river bed look. It was beautiful when we installed it. Beautiful too when the leaves started to come down.

But cleaning the leaves out of it?!! . . . was a nightmare.

A blower is abt the only way to do it.

[Elena Zimmerman]

One of my beds is flat, and the other is on the slope = no leaves problem, even on the opuntias. Wish I could say the same about the fence around the property that turns into a Select Examples of Local Garbage Exhibition after every major windstorm (meaning every week or so in Calgary)

[earwig]

OK Golden, here are a few pictures of the two rock gardens I made.

The first one I made is a crevice garden although I think I made the crevices too wide. I have a lot of rough flat rock available so that is why I chose that type of rock. I used a slope off my sitting area that I was never happy with.

Just about finished April 2009

May 2010

June 2011

The other was a difficult area by my driveway that was the result of excavations for the placement of my mini home. It contained large rocks that I could not move by hand so attempted to put soil around them but never liked what I had done. So I asked my brother assistance with his handy rig to remove the two larger ones.

Removal of large rocks May 2010

I thought he had got them all but when I continued digging i discovered another I could not move

One by crowbar refused to budge September 2010

and I tried to work around it and placed a few rocks but it just was not what I wanted.

Playing around with troughs and rocks. Sept 2010

So this spring I added a lot of soil to cover the rock that would not move and made a hump. Decided it would stay this way.

Mostly planted but more will be added. June 2011

click photo to make larger.

[Goldens]

Wow - those look like very intense projects - well done! Thanks for sharing the pictures.

I know what you mean about being dissatisfied when some things just don't work out the way you wanted. You're never satisfied until you go back and accomplish your original vision.

[Goldens]

Okay, I've been reading up on creating rock gardens and there is far more to it than I thought. Not sure if this is beyond me - both as a novice gardener and limited in budget (especially after this foundation year of countless bags of soil, compost etc and tons of plants).

I'm on the lookout for a seminar or workshop on it but I suspect there won't be anything until next spring.

Still, this project idea has caught my interest and I'm excited about the possibility. I think rock gardens are beautiful. It might be a great solution to that troublesome area of my yard. Also, it will give some variety to the landscape. That's if I can keep my rock loving Golden retriever out of it!

[Trailblaze1]

Loove those rock gardens, earwig! Artistry.