For some people rock gardening is a required necessity due to rocky terrain, or even drought ridden areas where they live. For others, rock gardening is simply another way to express their creative gardening skills through an unusual but effective medium.
Having first been established in the British Isles, early rock gardens were generally thought to be an eyesore and were not as well balanced as today’s rock gardens. By the turn of twentieth century however, rock gardening had taken off with giant leaps and bounds, so much so that rock gardening took off across the Atlantic and crossed to Northern America where it still perseveres to this day. Some very creative gardeners have made their rock gardens a work of art.
Today, garden enthusiasts looking to create their own rock garden have numerous choices available to them, with some of the main types of rock gardening being Japanese, or Zen Gardens, and your average everyday rock garden used as retaining or feature walls.
| With the right lighting and the use of some well placed plants your rock garden could become a main feature of your home, especially when you also use a water feature with some lilly's or maybe some fish to enhance the look of the garden . We all love the soothing sound of that flowing water. | Gardening Tip Another problem you may encounter in your garden is insects. While some insects, such as earthworms and ladybugs, can be beneficial to your garden, there are several that are not so helpful. |
Like most people if you’re going for the more widespread style of rock gardening where plants abound, (Zen gardens are more rocky and less plant-filled) there are a few things you will need to take into consideration.
Landscaping Your Rock Garden
If your landscape is mainly rocky then you won’t have too much of a problem setting up your garden. If, however, you’re doing rock gardening for purely aesthetic reasons, then you’ll need to plan and create carefully to achieve the results you’re after.
Since most gardens always seem to have at least one problem spot in the garden, then this seems to be the most likely place to start your planning. You’ll need a place with optimal sunshine, and preferably a slope. If you don’t have a slope don’t worry, you can build the contours that you need by filling the ground with soil.
Next, find any rocks that you may already have in your garden, if any. There’s a good chance that you can use at least some of them even for fill. If you don’t have any, don’t worry rocks are always available to buy, your local nursery will probably stock some as well.
When choosing your rocks, choosing a color scheme that looks natural is a good idea. Keeping this color theme in mind when you go to buy your plants will help greatly as you can pick and choose the plants to suit you. Also, you’ll need to make sure that the plants you choose are the type that won’t need much watering, as the water will tend to filter through the rocks and belost into the ground.
Now that you’ve purchased your plants and rocks you can now start your rock gardening in earnest. From here on out it’s mainly the task of giving your rock garden a slight elevation or slope, and mixing your plants in with rocks at a particular space, and angle to suit you and of course the plant.
Depending on the size of your planned project, and rocks, hopefully you should be able to finish your journey into rock gardening within a day or two, leaving you to enjoy it for a long time to come. Enjoy!
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