Garden editor Lee Ann tells how to rock your world!
We have lots of rocks on our property. Most were conveniently deposited here zillions of years ago by some cooperative volcano. Others were given to us by friends who had too many for their own garden and generously donated a truckload.
It’s very handy having three or four types to choose from, in a variety of shapes, sizes, colours and textures, but they’re bloody heavy to move.
When sizing up a rock for a specific area, it’s hard to believe you can’t just pick it up and carry it there. Gardening with rocks is not ideal for impulsive people with a short attention span, so I am rarely asked for my input when it comes to fine-tuning rock gardens.
The Partner makes the final decisions.
If you’re keen on a rock garden and you have either a muscular partner, a range of heavy hand-tools and a digger, or preferably all three, now is a good time to build one. When it comes to moving rocks, cool temperatures are your best friend because it’s very hot work.
The most obvious place to build a rockery is on a slope, where it does some of the work of a retaining wall. The rocks are embedded into the slope with the aim of simulating a natural outcrop, then the gaps between them are filled with the plants of your choice.
On flat ground, a rockery provides a sense of visual relief from wall-to-wall plants or soil, and can turn a tame garden into one with a wild spirit. Rockeries can work well in natural settings, such as behind a pond or adjacent to a stream. They can also provide useful camouflage, hiding part of an ugly wall or disguising a corner of the property where nothing much will grow. And you don’t need a full-on rockery, either.
Sometimes an artfully arranged group of three or five rocks can add something quite dramatic to an unexciting area.
Natural, shaped rocks are the most common in landscaping, but cut block and slabs can be used too. They have the advantage of at least one flat surface, which makes them ideal to use as plinths to showcase pieces of garden sculpture.
It’s very simple to get a load of garden rocks delivered.
The truck driver will disgorge them onto your lawn and wave a speedy goodbye, leaving you to deal with the consequences. The best idea is to have a tractor or digger on hand with an aesthetically-aware driver on board.
Medium-sized rocks can be moved without a machine, if you have help. We have a cant hook that enables one person to manoeuvre a rock into position without massive muscle strain. A couple of crowbars and two blokes are a good substitute. Other useful tools are a heavy-duty wheelbarrow or hand truck and a couple of steel ramps.
When it comes to getting your rocks in the right place, use your eyes. There are no rules for deciding which way is up, other than what looks good. The shape of the land, the position of other rocks, existing plants and the style of the garden will all influence the outcome.
In general, it’s important to set your rock into the soil, not on top of it. About a third of the rock should be below the surface. Try to use an area that has a weathered look. Be prepared to tweak this and drive your digger operator nuts.
Leave the rockery to settle a bit before you start planting it. The longer you look at it, the better your decisions will be. All the plant varieties you use will need to be smaller than the rocks themselves.
You didn’t spend blood, sweat, tears and money to have your masterpiece obliterated by over-enthusiastic plants.