Build a rock garden

Rock garden – why do it at all?

Mowing the lawn, trimming shrubs, weeding and so on. If you want to have a beautifully designed garden, you also have to invest a lot of work in it. However, many people do not have this time and therefore neglect their garden. If you are one of these people or just want to try something new in your garden, we have the perfect solution for you: build a rock garden.

A rock garden requires little maintenance such as constant watering and the utensils needed for it, and gives you more personal relaxation time that you would have otherwise had to spend gardening. But what is a rock garden anyway? A rock garden is a replica of a landscape common in mountainous regions. It consists, as you could probably guess, mostly of stones. Plants are planted between these stones. Since it doesn’t take up much space, a rock garden can be planted in any garden and requires much less maintenance than a flower bed or vegetable garden. There are no limits to your creativity when you build a rock garden. A rock garden looks chic in all imaginable sizes and can be created in many different shapes. Also in the choice of stones and plants you have many different combination options and can design the rock garden according to your personal preferences. So you can easily create a vacation feeling with a rock garden or make it a family garden.

An overview of these many different possibilities and how you should proceed in the design of your rock garden, we show you in the following section.

build a rock garden step by step

PLANNING

Well planned is half won. This proverb also applies to the rock garden. Meticulous planning will avoid later inconveniences and will also help you to find out how your rock garden should look like in the first place. After all, you can easily change plans on paper, unlike heavy stones. So before you start, the very first thing you should do is make a scaled sketch of your garden and determine where you want your rock garden to be located. You should take into account light conditions, trees, as well as soil conditions. The best soil for rock garden plants is one that gets plenty of sun, is low in nutrients and well-drained. A rock garden looks most harmonious if it is laid out as a slope or with steps. However, this is not obligatory. You should also sketch out the rock garden in more detail and determine where, for example, stones, paths, stepping stones or seating areas should take their place in the rock garden.

PREPARATION OF THE GROUND

Now that you have sketched everything out and have a more accurate picture of your rock garden, it’s time to prepare the soil. The first thing to do is: dig deep, throw wide! First you start with the excavation of the soil. To do this, dig out the entire soil of the rock garden area to a depth of about 30 to 50 centimeters. After excavation, remove all roots and weeds and, if necessary, create a slope. This is followed by the laying of a drainage layer. A drainage layer helps to drain off stagnant water in a controlled manner. To lay a drainage layer, simply spread about 20 centimeters of rubble, soil, sand, gravel or other rock material over the excavated soil. To prevent weeds, you should finally cover the drainage layer with weed fleece. The fleece layers should overlap by about 10 centimeters so that there are no gaps between them. As a final step, spread 20 to 30 centimeters of plant soil over the fleece.

PLACE STONES

When you’re done preparing the soil, you’re a big step closer to your rock garden. The next step is to place the stones. Work your way from large to small. So you start by laying the largest stones. To give the rock garden stability, the stones should be placed one third of the way into the ground with the largest surface facing down. If there are any cavities, you can simply fill them with sand. After that, lay the medium sized stones and then the small stones as you have noted on your sketch. When you have finished laying the stones, you can rest for a few days with a clear conscience. This is because the rock garden needs this time to let the stones sink into the ground a bit and thus solidify their positions.

PLANTING THE ROCK GARDEN

Almost done. After enjoying a few days of well-deserved relaxation, you’re now just one step away from your finished rock garden. Now it’s time for the rocks of your rock garden to get roommates – plants. However, since the main actors in the rock garden should remain the stones, you should be rather sparing with the planting. When planting, first dig a hole in the desired place with a hand shovel and cut the fleece crosswise. The hole in the fleece should only be large enough for the root of the plant to just fit through. Then put the plant about two thirds of the way into the dug hole and fill it up again. Proceed in this way with all plants and your individual rock garden is ready. If you are overwhelmed with the choice of the right stones and plants, we give you a few helpful tips below.

Choosing the right stones and plants

The choice of stones and plants for your rock garden has a significant influence on its texture and appearance. However, there are many, many different stones and plants. So how should you go about making the right choice for your rock garden? If you follow the rules below, it will be a breeze for you to choose the right stones and plants for your rock garden.

STONES

Stones are the most important design element of the rock garden. When choosing rocks for your rock garden, be sure to use only one type of rock. In addition, you should use mainly large stones, so-called boulders, in different sizes. Between these large stones, however, small stones should be placed again and again, so that an irregular and yet harmonious arrangement comes about, as it could also occur in nature. Proven stone types are, for example, sand-lime stone, granite, basalt or sandstone.

PLANTS

In contrast to the stones, the plants in your rock garden should be small-growing specimens that do not exceed a height of 30 centimeters. Classic rock garden plants bloom early in the year. Typical rock garden plants are, for example, alpine aster, blue cushion, grass carnation, wall pepper or saxifrage. Winter-hardy plants, such as lavender, creeping juniper or heather carnation, also ensure that the rock garden looks nice and green all year round. To get a natural and harmonious look, you should plant different plants with different growing heights and different flowering times.