Rockery stars
Join the rock fan club and add interest to your borders and pots with texture, shape and tough yet pretty alpine plants
Creating a rock garden is a simple way of adding a feature that can be a real talking point. And it can be whatever size you like – from going large in borders to a mini vision in containers.
They are also a great solution for sloping or steep areas, where plants would otherwise struggle to take hold.
Basically, a rockery is an elevated bed or border built using rocks with soil and plants growing between them.
Once you have selected the site, you will need some large rocks to use as anchors. It is best to source rocks that are native to the area you live in, for example sandstone in central England or slate from Wales.
Decorative aggregate suppliers will sell what you need but you can also check quarries and landscape dealers to see what is available.
You will also need some weed or landscape fabric to lay underneath your rockery to prevent rocks from slipping down into the ground, improve drainage and suppress weeds. And you need pebbles or gravel and some alpine compost mix.
You can usually buy alpine compost mix from garden centres or make your own by mixing together equal parts topsoil, horticultural grit and leaf mould.
To begin, mark out the area using pegs and string and then clear all weeds. Put down a layer of pebbles or gravel and then lay the weed fabric over the top.
Next, pour on some of the alpine compost and arrange your large anchor stones, burying them down to one third underneath the soil and two thirds above.
Place the rocks on different levels and facing in varying directions to add interest to your rock garden.
When choosing plants for your rock garden, look for alpines – they’re hardy, low-maintenance plants that will thrive in this rocky climate.
They are often drought tolerant too, which all helps to conserve water in the garden.
Aubretia is a classic example of a creeping alpine plant that will bring masses of pretty purple flowers among the neutral grey of your rocks.
Sedum, sometimes called stonecrop, is also a great choice, with its unusual succulent leaves and clusters of flowers that come in a variety of colours.
Or you could try gentiana verna for a carpet of blue flowers or saxifrage for lots of lovely greenery and colourful summery blooms.
Anacyclus, alpine campanula, creeping thyme and dianthus are more options of alpines that would work well in a rock garden.
Once you have selected your plants and got them home, arrange them around the rocks in their pots to see what they look like before planting.
Masses of pretty purple flowers among the neutral grey stone
That way, you can adjust without having to dig them up if you don’t immediately like their placing.
Don’t worry if the rocks seem to stand out a lot at first – they will soon naturally gather moss and lichen for added colour and interest.
Try to consider your plants’ needs when you are deciding where they will go – check whether they prefer full sun or partial shade and plant accordingly. Large rocks can even provide shelter for plants, with the angle of rocks creating different micro-climates.
Once you are happy with the arrangement, remove the plants from their pots and plant them in the soil surrounding the rocks, firming in gently and watering in well.
The final step is to add a layer of gravel or pebbles to surround your gorgeous plants. This gives the rock garden a nice finished look but also serves as a mulch to retain water for your plants.
The gravel also brings a variety in texture with the smaller pebbles complementing the larger rocks and adding to the overall landscape.
And sharp gravel even has the potential to deter slugs, that won’t like its jagged edges.
This can be especially beneficial to alpine plants, whose fleshy leaves are particularly attractive to slugs and snails.
Your rock garden is now complete. This new feature in your garden will hopefully bring added variety and interest to your outdoor space.
And you will have made an unusual, attractive and low-maintenance area outside that you can enjoy for years to come.