Definition
Before you start working on a rock garden, you need to find out what it is.
So, a rock garden is a small garden made of stones, which is a type of decor for a summer house. The size of the rock garden may vary depending on the size of the dacha.
Recommendations for building a rock garden
If you look at a photo of a rock garden, you will notice that its construction requires great skill and skill. We want to tell you about the most popular mistakes, knowing which you can prevent inconvenience during the installation of a rock garden.
Amount of moisture
Carefully monitor the amount of moisture in the soil on which the rockery will be installed. But it’s also not worth installing rockeries in too dry soil, as this can negatively affect the plants that will grow in this area.
If you have not found the optimal place to install a rock garden, you can fill the area with soil that absorbs moisture well. This will help make the rockery area less humid.
External factors
In addition to soil, other external factors and pathogens can interfere with the growth of rockeries. One of these are shrews and moles, which can periodically eat plants and interfere with their optimal growth and development.
If there are such animals in your area, then install a special net that will block the moles from entering the territory. This mesh can be purchased at a regular garden store.
Other plants and weeds
Weeds are also very unpleasant for your flower garden.
The fact is that it is already difficult to care for flowers growing on the territory of a rock garden, and if you also turn your attention to weeds that will in every possible way interfere with the growth of plants, it will take a lot of time and effort.
But, fortunately, you can protect yourself from weed germination. To do this, before planting the plants, you need to cover the soil with a special protective layer.
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Subsidence of stones
This threat will first of all affect the appearance of your rock garden, making it very sloppy and ugly.
To avoid movement and subsidence of stones, you need to carefully compact and crush the soil on which the stones will lie.
Here are the main mistakes, avoiding which, you will make a good rock garden with your own hands.
Features of creating a rock garden
At the preparation stage, it is necessary to carefully consider the selection of a place in order to place the rockery. This is a very important point - after all, the composition must organically fit into the existing topography of the site, in harmony with the artificial reservoirs located on the territory and green spaces.
You should not place it near a fence or buildings on the site; let the background for it be as natural as possible. If such an arrangement cannot be avoided, drape the buildings with climbing plants or shrubs.
Each stone in the rockery should be in its place. Choose stones from the same material, even if they differ only in size, and when laying, give them the most advantageous position from an aesthetic point of view.
Choose stones with more rounded shapes. The stones are fastened using a solution or special glue. The photo shows examples of rockeries created with your own hands.
Before arranging a rockery on it, loose soil must be compacted with gravel - this will prevent heavy stones from subsiding, and at the same time will play the role of drainage for the plants being planted.
Types of rockeries
Of course, there are many types of rockeries. We will present to you the main types that are used most often.
European rock garden. Quite an ordinary, standard rock garden. It got its name because of the plants that are used for this rockery. To get such a flower garden, you need to use plants that grow in the middle zone.
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English rockery. This rock garden is already more interesting. It differs in that in the design of this rockery you need to calculate everything as accurately as possible, because any mistake can cause failure. Usually, they try to fill such a flower garden with greenery as much as possible.
Japanese rock garden. This look is classic. This is what is meant by the most ordinary rock garden. The basis is stones of different sizes and shapes. Regarding plants, there are no special recommendations, use according to your taste.
Choosing the right stones
The main factor considering which rockeries are used in landscape design are stones. They create the main beauty of this flower garden. That is why their choice is very important.
So, we present you with basic recommendations for choosing good stones for your rock garden.
Durability. The most important parameter, because it determines how long your rock garden will serve you.
Choose those types of stones that do not crumble under the influence of external factors. Granite will be the best choice for you.
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Besides the fact that this stone is quite durable, it also looks pretty good. This can have a positive effect on the appearance of your rock garden.
Decorative. The appearance of your rockery is also very important, because it is precisely because of its unusual appearance that the rockery is so popular. Here we will advise you to choose stones such as sandstone and granite.
What a rock garden on a hill could be like
The most common type of rock garden on a hillside is several terraces formed by retaining stones. They have an aesthetic and structuring orientation. To plant plants, stone blocks are sprinkled with soil, which also performs a fixing function, playing the role of a dry solution.
Rockery on the site
Terraces with planted plants are clearly visible
Schematic representation of a terraced rock garden
What is the difference between a terraced rock garden and an alpine slide? Firstly, it is located on a natural hill, while the rock garden is a man-made mound. Secondly, a rock garden on a slope does not require emphasizing its boundaries; it fits into the landscape of the site as naturally as possible. An alpine hill is almost always limited to borders, representing a separate decorative island.
Rockery - an organic element of garden design
On the slope of a hill you can create a rockery, stylized as a mountain cliff, gorge, rock. They are often considered varieties of a terraced rock garden, since the desired result can be achieved by choosing the rocks that correspond to the solution (in color and texture), varying the size of the areas between the retaining walls and the density of the stones adhering to each other.
Alpine slide with clearer boundaries
Significant elevation changes over a large area of the site are a good reason to create a landscape rock garden. This is a complex composition that includes several of the above elements. They can also be supplemented with a “mountain stream” or an artificial pond and steps.
Landscape rock garden with pond
Plant selection
The right choice of plants is also very important for a good rock garden. There are several rules for choosing plants for rockeries. We will present you with the basic rules for choosing flowers and greenery.
We do not advise you to choose plants that bloom and look beautiful only at a certain period of time. Since rockeries are planted for a long time, plants for them should also be selected that bloom for a long time. As an example, we can give you decorative bows. These plants are perfect for your rock garden.
There is no need to plant plants that grow very quickly. It may happen that the plants are much taller than the stones. This completely destroys the entire appearance of the rockery and will make it look like a hedge.
Therefore, select those plants that grow at an optimal speed and whose growth can be controlled.
Rockery care
An important factor is the care of your rock garden. After all, if you properly care for your flower garden, it will serve you for a very long time.
And so, if the basis of your rock garden is greenery, then it should be watered frequently and thoroughly. For watering, you should use a special spray nozzle so as not to break the plants with a large flow of water.
In addition, you should carefully monitor dying plant leaves.
If you see a yellowed leaf, then you should get rid of it immediately in order to prevent the subsequent death of healthy leaves. You also need to remove shoots of unnecessary plants and weeds.
If you left your rockery for the winter, then you probably lost some frost-resistant plants. During the onset of the summer season, it is worth planting new plants to replace the dead ones.
Periodically check the stones for stability. If the stones begin to stagger and move, then add soil under them to restore them to a stable position.
Only those plants that need it need to be constantly watered and fed. Do not overdo this, otherwise you may oversaturate some plants and they will stop growing evenly.
If your flower garden contains bulbous plants, then their bulbs need to be dug up periodically and checked for suitability. Dead and rotten bulbs need to be removed and new healthy specimens planted in their place.
These are the basic rules for caring for rock gardens, by following which you can maintain the good appearance of your flower garden for many years.
How to make a rockery (video)
Our guide would be incomplete without detailed recommendations and videos on how to properly create a rock garden. In fact, everything is very simple and clear:
- The basis of the composition will be the largest stones with an attractive side. To achieve greater stability, they dig a little into the ground.
- If space allows, you can use the stone in its already processed form. For example, put a bench or a fountain.
- After placement, plants are planted in the settled soil. It is recommended to plant large and bushy specimens first, and then move on to small and ground covers.
- The final stage is filling the empty spaces with small stones and small pebbles.
