Chicken Coop Rock Garden

[ColleenatStar]

Lynn I took my list down with me to buy some shade loving plants. Picked up some cranesbill, three different types and lily of the valley. Hubby informed me when I got home that he was moving my fence where I was going to plant these so I had to find another temp place for them. Couldn't resist some blue lupines, blaze of fulda sedum and a pretty pink bearded iris. So they got planted in two other beds.
We have a concrete foundation for the old chicken coop that was on the property. Hubby said he will build me a greenhouse on it but that is a few years down the road. So decided to turn it into a rock garden instead this summer. Going to put a "Free rocks needed" sign at the end of the property since the farmers are clearing their fields of them right now. So I picked up some elijah blue festuca,speedwell, silver brocade wormwood, garden bride baby's breath, varigated trailing sedum,cranesbill for full sun,thrift,snow in summer,creeping baby's breath, 3 types of stone crop and 2 types of rock cress. The area is about 12' x 12' and in the full sun. Any hints on how the soil should be when I put it in? Should I have more sand, compost, peat moss or dirt? The only response I got from hubby when I got home was "more plants?' Also got a bonus from a lady from work that gave me some monkshood, geraniums, bearded iris, sedum, fern leaf bleeding heart and a couple of other ones I can't remember. This is a very, very good week for my soul!!!

[Eeyore]

Most of what you picked up will grow in just about any type of soil and in fact are better off in dry areas so extra sand won't hurt. The ones I'd be concerned about are the Monkshood and the Irises. They like better soil.
Monkshood prefers some shade and probably won't do well in the rock garden.

[ColleenatStar]

All the plants from the lady at work and the iris I bought went into two different beds that had compost and peat moss added to our black soil. They also get sun in the morning and late afternoon to evening. I just have to find the time to work on the rock garden while completing my hubby's "to do list"as well. Only fair since he did the same for me a couple of weekends ago.

[Eeyore]

Yep, gotta make compromises! Sounds good though.

[ColleenatStar]

Ok now that I have dipped myself in Icyhot and swallowed the ibuprofen I am not too scared to move quickly. It took about 7 front end loader trips with the tractor but I think most of the work on the rock garden is done. I knew that pile of rocks I have been collecting would come in handy. Finished the plantings last night. Hubby doesn't think I am so crazy, now that he sees it. Will post a picture tonight. He was actually asking what I am going to do with the foundation in the middle.

[Eeyore]

Cool! looking forward to pictures!

[evepet]

Ok now that I have dipped myself in Icyhot and swallowed the ibuprofen I am not too scared to move quickly. It took about 7 front end loader trips with the tractor but I think most of the work on the rock garden is done. I knew that pile of rocks I have been collecting would come in handy. Finished the plantings last night. Hubby doesn't think I am so crazy, now that he sees it. Will post a picture tonight. He was actually asking what I am going to do with the foundation in the middle.

Like Eeyore said - looking forward to seeing pictures!!!

[ColleenatStar]

I have the pics but can't figure out how to post them since they are so big. I have Vista!!! There now I said it and feel a little better.

[Eeyore]

Colleen - find a site like photobucket and upload your pictures to that. It automatically resizes your pictures. Then you can post them to this site and it doesn't matter how big they are.
If you want to post directly to this site you'll have to resize your photos with something like Microsoft Photo Editor to less than 256kb and whatever the maximum pixel size is.

[ColleenatStar]

Ok it's not much to look at but I have another 3-4 years to wait for hubby to build a greenhouse on this 12' x 12' foundation. So until then I will have flowers and plants to look at instead. Especially since I see this everytime I look out the kitchen window. It took me just one evening to haul the rocks with the tractor. Hubby thought I was crazy. Now that it is done he thinks something should go in the middle. I am not sure what. Any ideas out there? It has full sun all day and absolutely no break from any wind.