Along with the beauty that you want to have surrounding your property, you also want your gardens to be relatively low maintenance. If you live in an area that has lower soil quality, considering a simple and elegant rock garden might be a great choice for your home.
Not only are rock gardens a lovely focal point, but they can hide any unsightly areas on your property as well. There are numerous designs and sizes to suit any property, — it’s really up to you. Have a full section near your front entrance for a dramatic opening to your home, or fill an empty space on your property that needs some sprucing up.
The great thing about rock gardens is that they never go out of style. They provide a relaxed and natural look that accents your space with very little effort. Rocks of all sizes can be found from a local dealer or you can contact a company like Rock on Ground, which does construction blasting, to find rocks at a cheaper price.
Either way, the variety of rocks is part of the choice that is completely up to you to suit your needs and taste. Putting a rock garden together couldn’t be easier.
Choose Your Site
You want to choose a site for your garden that has fairly good soil drainage. You can also build your garden up on a slight slant for a graded look that can aid in draining any extra moisture. Once your site is chosen, you can map it out in chalk, paint or string to give you a proper look at the dimensions you will be working with.
Clear Your Site
Once your site has been selected, you will need to clear the area of any clutter, branches and stumps. You want to start with a fresh canvas, so you will need to remove any topsoil and grass from the area as well. Digging down 6 inches is plenty, as long as all weeds and roots are removed. Once the site has been cleared, you will need to put down a layer of landscape fabric to stop new weeds from coming through.
Choose Your Rocks
For the best and most natural look you should choose a variety of rocks. Choose different sizes, from medium boulders right down to gravel-size stones. Try to choose a variety of colors and shapes as well to add depth and texture to your garden. Decide ahead of time, if possible, where the larger rocks will be placed as they will take the most labor to move around. Once the larger rocks are placed, you can start filling in the gaps with the rest of your stones.
Filling In
Once all of your stones have been arranged to your liking, place a good layer of topsoil throughout the area in between all the stones and crevices. Where you can, you should stomp the soil down firmly and then water the entire area. After 2 days, all of the soil and rocks should have settled, and any extra soil can be added where needed.
Start Planting
Now you are ready to start planting. There is no need to overdo it with too many plants — just enough to give the rock area a more natural look is the best balance. Choose plants that are fairly low maintenance and can survive with minimal soil. Cacti, succulents and ground ivy are some great choices.
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