Rocks In Your Garden!
For some people rock gardening is an unavoidable necessity due to a rocky terrain already present in their yard, or the possibility of living in a very arid area. For others, rock gardening is simply another way to express their creative gardening skills through an unusual medium.
Rock gardens first started in Britain and were generally thought to be an eyesore. They were definately in a primary stage of evolution and were not as well balanced as today’s rock gardens. By the turn of twentieth century however, rock gardening had taken off, and giant leaps and bounds were made. The trend then took off across the Atlantic to North America.
Today, garden enthusiasts looking to create their own rock garden have many choices available to them. Two of the main types of rock gardening are Japanese, or Zen, gardens, and your average everyday rock garden.
If you’re going for the more widespread trend of rock gardening where plants are placed to balance out with the rocks, (Zen gardens are more rocky and less plant-filled) there are a few things you will need to take into consideration.
If your landscape is mainly rocky then it won't be too difficult to set up your garden. If, however, you’re doing rock gardening for purely aesthetic reasons and you will need to drastically change your landscape, 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 troublesome spot, this seems to be the most likely place to start your planning. This process is just like landscape gardening. If you need to make a sketch or get a hold of landscape software to have a detailed vision of what you want, don't hesitate to do it. You’ll need a place with optimal sunshine, and preferably a slope. If you don’t have a slope don’t worry. You can just create the contours that you may not have.
Next, scout out the rocks that you may already have in your garden. There’s a good chance that you can use at least some of them. If you don’t have any, don’t worry rocks are always available. Your local nursery will probably stock some as well.
When choosing your rocks, it is a good idea to choose a color scheme that looks natural. Try to keep this color scheme in mind when you buy your plants. This will help greatly to match or compliment the plants' colors with the rocks' color scheme. Also, you’ll need to make sure that the plants you choose are the type that won’t need much water, as the water will tend to filter through the rocks.
Now that you’ve made your purchases and you're all set up, it's time to get to work on your rock garden. Try to give your rock garden a slight elevation or slope. Also mix your plants within the rock layout at different angles or in a way that is aesthetically pleasing. You can even incomporate a pond or water gardening element.
Depending on the size of your planned project, and rocks, hopefully you should be able to finish your sojourn into rock gardening within a day or two, leaving you to enjoy it for a long time to come. Enjoy!
