Do-it-Yourself: An Attractive Rock Garden
One of the most economical ways to enhance the landscape surrounding your home
is to build a rock garden.
Rock gardens are most often associated with the
British Isles,
where the climate is rarely accommodating to delicate plants.
Rock gardens bring with them the assumption of having very few plants,
and
those of a very hardy variety, or no plants at all.
The arrangement of the
rocks in your garden, when properly complemented by attractive plants
with
coordinating colors, can add to the beauty of the home and provide
a
low-maintenance landscape feature that should not interfere with your
lawn-mowing practices;
rather, it will reduce the amount of space that requires
mowing.
The first thing to do when starting your rock garden is to carefully look over
the proposed site for your garden.
You should clear the area of unwanted
plants, such as spindly grass varieties and diseased trees and plants.
Be sure
to dig out the roots as well as the tops,
or you may find your rock garden
invaded at some later time by an unwanted fern or intrusive perennials.
If you plan to do some planting, make sure you test the soil to determine its
level of acidity and its general pH.
It is a good idea, even after you have
placed your rocks and mapped out where you want to put any plants,
to wait a
full growing season before you attempt to plant in your rock garden.
This will
ensure that the soil has settled,
and it will give you a chance to make sure
that you have got rid of any pesky weeds by hoeing them out,
root and all, as
soon as they make their appearances above the ground.
It is also desirable to
mix in such soil enhancements as mulch, compost, and other compounds.
If you
plan to use plants that like soils with alkali, y
ou should mix in crushed
oyster shells or limestone.
After you have improved the soil, then it is time to place your rocks.
It is
important for aesthetic purposes not to evenly space your rocks, or to choose
rocks of the same size and shape.
A little variety in the types of rocks used
is as desirable as a little variety of plants chosen to place in a more
conventional garden.
If you wish to have a great deal of plants, then your
rocks should be spaced further apart to give more room for the vegetation.
If,
however, you plan to use plants only sparingly, arrange them closer together,
but make sure that you allow some room for plants to grow.
Try to make the
design look as natural as possible,
as it will be more attractive.
When placing the rocks in a garden that is sloped,
it is best to start at the
low parts of slopes and work up.
Try to slope the top of the rock back toward
the slope so that water from rain and sprinklers is guided downward.
Additionally, try to keep outcroppings from overshadowing rocks and plants
below.
The goal is to create a feeling of stability.
Set each rock so that its
widest side serves a base.
You can also set a larger rock on top of smaller
rocks and then fill in the cracks with soil.
If you are placing the rocks on flat ground, work from the inside toward the
outer edges of the garden.
If you are planning a circular garden, or a rock
garden in some other shape that is surrounded by other landscape features, this
can be tricky.
Therefore, it is a good idea to mark out which rocks you would
like on a map so that you can ensure their proper placement in the garden.
It
may be necessary, on a flat site,
to build up small mounds of dirt in different
places to give the rock garden an interesting appearance.
If you plan to use plants in your garden, you should be careful to plant them
after everything else is in place,
and after you have a chance to make sure the
soil is properly settled.
Early spring or early autumn are the best times to do
any planting, including planting in rock gardens.
Make sure you choose plants
that are suited for rugged terrain and adapted to your climate.
Then, plant
them in the spaces you have designated.
The end result should be a beautiful
garden that requires little upkeep.
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