Creating a rock garden where plants are best placed?

Rock gardens are attractive focal points in a courtyard or garden. If you want to create a rock garden, start by choosing the right stones and plants. You can combine stones of different sizes, shapes, and colors, such as granite, limestone, and basalt, sometimes with gravel. You can also use one type of stone for a calmer, more visually balanced effect. Round, oval, or rectangular forms can all work; the overall concept and your personal taste are what matter most.

Creating a rock garden – arranging the stones

Here are a few tips to help you create a beautiful rock garden. Several styles are possible – Asian, Mediterranean, or rustic, for example. The more space you have, the easier it is to create a natural composition. Avoid small, scattered piles of stones, which rarely look convincing. Symmetrical designs are also best avoided, because a rock garden should feel as if it grew naturally.

Creating a rock garden – finding the right location

Creating a rock garden leaves plenty of room for imagination. Once the stones are arranged, choose the plants. Some rock-garden plants need very little maintenance, but the site is still important. Some prefer direct sunlight, while others thrive in partial shade. Damp, shaded areas are less suitable because moss can become a problem. The joints between stones can be planted with low shrubs. For flowering plants in a courtyard, a southwest-facing position is ideal. A sunny south-facing slope also helps rainwater drain away.

Bring a piece of nature into the courtyard

A stable, well-drained gravel foundation should be prepared at ground level. Avoid waterlogging. Creating a rock garden is best done from March to August. The garden is usually planted mainly with alpine species. For an attractive look, combine smaller and larger plants. Classic rock-garden choices include herbs, edelweiss, aubrieta, lavender, thyme, dwarf hyacinths, bulbs, perennials, and subshrubs. Larger plants with brightly colored flowers can add strong accents. Woody plants, ornamental grasses, bellflowers, hazel, watercress, and lithodora can also bring a touch of nature into an urban garden.

Rock-garden plants

Herbs and low-growing plants are excellent choices for a rock garden. Slow-growing conifers are also a real asset: balsam fir, dwarf spruce, and dwarf pine can create a year-round green oasis. A rock garden may also look a little wild. For a personal touch, add decorations such as figures, fountains, water features, or solar lamps. A small pond can be integrated harmoniously and emphasizes the natural character.

Large stones for the garden – a real eye-catcher

Design with stones of different shapes and sizes

Stone wall in the garden

Low flowering plants – Echinacea purpurea

Rock garden on a slope

Gravel surface

Green shrubs

Waterfall – natural garden design

Planting in the rock garden

Create a stone walkway

Terraced design

Creating a water feature

Colorful plants decorate the stone garden wall