1115
Designing a rock Garden
 A rock Garden
is defined as an outcropping of rocks into which a careful selection of
low-growing perennials, annuals, bulbs and shrubs are nestled. Installing
a rock Garden is not an easy proposition, so you might want to read about
it or take a class beforehand. Or, you can observe natural rocky terrains
and man-made rock Gardens like those at the Denver Botanic Gardens. In the
meantime, there are some guidelines you can think about.
Rock Gardens are a good choice for sloping sites because the angle of
the slope emulates the mountainous regions, and many plants traditionally
used in rock Gardens originate in these regions.
You also can construct a rock Garden on level ground in an area that
receives ample sunlight. Any turf you remove can be used as a handy base
to elevate the grade, but add plenty of coarse stones to provide a
well-drained base on which to place a sandy soil mix and the featured
rocks.
Consult the landscape section of the yellow pages to identify sources
for retail landscape rock. Select rocks of the same type, but different
sizes.
Generally speaking, it's best to place the largest rocks within the
soil base towards the bottom of the slope. Arrange smaller ones to give
the impression that they have tumbled down. Place all rocks on their
broadest side and bury them at least half-way into the finished grade.
Although installing a rock Garden is a challenging task, it's also fun,
especially when it's time to plant. The rocks provide many different
niches into which carefully selected plants can grow. Large Garden centers
and nurseries have a special section of rock Garden plants to aid you in
your decision.
For "Perennials: for the rock Garden" refer to message number 1016.
For more information, see the following Colorado State Extension fact sheet(s).
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