Planning Your Rock Garden

Although adding a rock garden to your landscaping can be a little bit intimidating, if you plan it thoroughly before beginning it will be a huge success!

Below are a few tips that will help you get started:

• Prepare the foundation carefully!
  Most likely you will need to clear some existing space create your rock garden. If the area previously had vegetation, you can prepare your space by covering the desired area with newspapers, then covering the paper with dirt. The vegetation will quickly die out due to the lack of sunlight and nutrients.
• Plan the size of your rock garden.
  Deciding how large or small your rock garden will be is incredibly important. If you are uncertain, start with a small rock garden on one side of the area you are considering. If the garden is a success, you can add to it over time.
• Choose the color of your rocks.
  Specialty rock stores typically have rocks and stones in a wide range of colors. It is important to decide what colors will compliment your home and garden. Another part of this choice is to decide the size of the rocks. Mix and match as you see fit to support the layout you planned.
• Decide if you want to incorporate plants into your rock garden.
  Often rock gardens have a number of plants incorporated to complement the rock arrangement. It may be best to consult a professional to gather knowledge about what types of plants will thrive in the rocky environment. You will need to consider the ability, or inability, of nutrients and water to reach the plants.
• Choose small rocks or mulch to use as filler.
  There will most likely be gaps in the overall appearance of the garden. You can use small rocks or pebbles to fill in these spaces. Try to match the surrounding rocks to allow the pebbles to blend into the landscape flawlessly.