How to Design a Rock Garden

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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Rock gardens can be striking, and with a little planning, you can make a rock garden that's relatively low maintenance. Choosing the colors for rocks and plant accents will create a cohesive rock garden design that can also reduce invasive weed development with the addition of stone mulch.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Trowel
Plants
Rocks
Stone mulch

Prepare Your Area

Step 1

Lay down a layer of newspapers in the area of your choice. This will smother the grass and promote decomposition over time. Medium-sized rock gardens can have a diameter of about four feet.
Step 2

Lay out a circle of stones as a base. For a medium-sized garden, use rocks under 12 inches in any direction.
Step 3

Select a sandy soil to add to your rock garden. Most rock gardens require some drainage in garden soil.
Step 4

Mix 25 percent compost in with 75 percent sandy soil.
Step 5

Use smaller rocks to create a second circle within the inside of the larger rock circle. Make the circle small enough to accommodate plants between the first and second circles.

Choose Your Plants

Step 1

Know that, when choosing plants for your rock garden, you will need to choose plants with similar soil requirements.
Step 2

Consider the light requirements of your selected plants. Finding plants that thrive in full sun will work well in a sunny garden.
Step 3

Develop a color scheme for your rock garden, which will help you narrow down your choices.
Step 4

Determine your ideal height for the foliage in your rock garden.
Step 5

Bring your plant requirements to a nursery or garden shop to make your selections. Ask a professional to help you select the correct plants.
Step 6

Consider plant size and leaf texture when selecting your plants, and aim for about two plants per chosen color.

Plant Your Rock Garden

Step 1

Use a garden trowel to dig the holes where your plants will go. Insert the plant into the hole and cover the indentation with dirt.
Step 2

Plant the rest of your rock garden plants with space around them.
Step 3

Add extra rocks between the plants to complete the rock garden effect.
Step 4

Sprinkle a layer of stone mulch between the cracks to suppress weed growth.
Step 5

Water your freshly planted rock garden plants.

Comments

lilaclady said

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on 1/25/2008 Now this is something I really would like to do with my front garden, I am very intested in your How to as you say you can do it over the lawn, i thought i would have to have that all dug up I guess i better start saving my newspapers, thanks for this, sounds great....