Backyard rock designs
22 Rock Garden Ideas & How to Tips
Enhance your landscape with this low-maintenance solution. By Janet Loughrey, Garden Writer & Photographer
A rock garden can add height and depth to a flat area. Add a waterfall or other water feature to enhance the natural appearance. Designer: Philip Thornburg, Winterbloom Landscaping. Photo: Janet Loughrey.
Adding a rock garden to your yard is a creative way to add depth and dimension to a flat or mundane space, or to introduce an element of surprise. The rugged appearance of rock adds earthy appeal, connecting a manmade landscape to the natural world.
Rocks can be used to define a slope, act as a substitute for a lawn, or become a solution to an area where little will grow. Different areas of the yard such as walkways and beds can be outlined or separated with an attractive arrangement of rocks, pebbles or gravel. A rock garden can range from a complex large-scale project with many aspects and layers, to something as simple as a small corner adorned with gravel and river stones. Even a container can become a miniature rock landscape.
Rock gardens are low-maintenance and lend year-round structure to the landscape. In order for your finished project to have cohesion, it should be well thought out and designed. Here are some basic principles to get you started, along with a list of recommended plants.
PLANNING A ROCK GARDEN
Think outside the box. Even a front yard can be the site of a rock garden, such as this entryway shown here. Designer: Philip Thornburg, Winterbloom Landscaping. Photo: Janet Loughrey.
Choose and evaluate your site.
Where would a rock garden look best in your yard? Is the site in sun or shade? Will plants need regular water, or will it be a drought-tolerant landscape? Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Even a front yard can have a rock garden.
Research.
Gather ideas by looking at photos of rock gardens on the internet and by visiting local gardens. Make an idea board or list with attributes you want to include.
Draw up a design.
Once you have some basic ideas, make a plan and draw a rough sketch. For a bigger project, you may want to consult with a landscape designer. Larger rocks are a challenge to lift and set in place, so it’s crucial to know ahead of time where you want them.
Consider scale.
Use materials that are in scale with your home and yard. Big boulders can overwhelm a small space, while small stones will get lost in a sweeping landscape.
Choose a style.
Rough irregular rocks add rugged natural appeal, while smooth pebbles or clean white gravel lend a more formal appearance, such as with Japanese rock gardens and Zen rock gardens. Create a look that complements your home’s style as well as the rest of the yard.
Keep it natural.
Take a cue from Mother Nature by making the rock garden look like it belongs. This will make the design more visually pleasing and cohesive with the rest of the yard. Random groupings of stones will look more natural than placing them in neat rows or organized patterns.
Incorporate a water feature or stepping stones to enhance the natural appeal.
HOW TO BUILD A ROCK GARDEN
Vary materials such as pebbles, gravel and stepping stones to make a more visually interesting landscape. Designers: Adriana Berry, Plant Passion Design. Photo: Janet Loughrey.
Make a list.
In order to have the right materials on hand, make a list of what you need.
Source materials.
Peruse local garden centers, home improvement stores and specialty rock suppliers to see and compare materials before buying. For the budget-minded, Craigslist and Freecycle often have listings from people looking to get rid of rock materials. Consider rock quarries or natural areas that allow rockhounding.
Vary the rocks.
To create contrast and visual interest, vary the size and shape of the rocks. Use a mix of materials such as stones, pebbles and gravel.
Placement.
Use a few well-placed larger rocks as primary focal points to anchor the space and install those first.
Allow space between the rocks for plants to grow. Smaller complementary stones or gravel placed around the larger rocks will unify the design.
Keep color in mind.
Select larger rocks in lighter hues so the landscape doesn’t feel dark and heavy. Vary the color and tone of other materials to lend contrast and visual interest.
Instill order.
To keep the design from looking too busy, choose rocks with complementary colors and shapes. Lay out swaths of the same pebbles or gravel rather than mixing too many materials together.
HOW TO PLANT A ROCK GARDEN
This rock garden features plants that thrive in partial shade, including ferns, bleeding heart, hellebores and ‘Bowles Golden’ sedge (Carex). Designer: Philip Thornburg, Winterbloom Landscaping. Photo: Janet Loughrey.
Soil matters.
Create an environment that is hospitable to your chosen plants. Alpine plants and other drought-tolerant plants will need sandy soil with sharp drainage. Others, such as ferns and hostas, will need richer soil and more moisture.
Pick the right plants.
Choose plants that will thrive in your climate. Traditional rock gardens include varieties that are alpine in origin, as the conditions simulate their native habitat. Rock garden plants tend to be smaller to complement the scale of the rocks. Use perennials, ornamental grasses and small shrubs to add vertical height. Creeping groundcovers will soften the appearance of the hard rocks. Add sturdy bulbs such as narcissus, wild tulips and alliums for contrast. Incorporate evergreen dwarf and creeping conifers for year-round interest. For a shade garden, choose mosses, ferns and hostas.
Complement and contrast.
To lend cohesion, choose plants with harmonious or complementary colors to the rocks. Use a mix of plants with flowers and foliage interest and combine upright and creeping forms.
ROCK GARDEN PLANTS
| Sun | Shade | |
|---|---|---|
| GROUND COVERS | Sedums, succulents, creeping thyme, snow-in-summer (Cerastium), creeping phlox, gold alyssum (Aurinia), ice plant (Delosperma). | Mosses, creeping Jenny, ajuga, deadnettle (Lamium), vinca, sweet woodruff. |
| PERENNIALS | Sedges and other small ornamental grasses, dwarf conifers, dianthus, rockcress (Aubrieta), columbine, speedwell, lamb’s ear, bellflower (Campanula). | Ferns, coral bells, hostas, hellebores, astilbe, lungwort, columbine, barrenroot (Epimedium). |
| BULBS | Species tulips, narcissus, crocus, squill, reticulated iris, alliums. | Snowdrops, narcissus, muscari, squill, crocus, anemone, tuberous begonias, caladium. |
MAINTAINING A ROCK GARDEN
Designer Burl Mostul, Villa Catalana. Photo: Janet Loughrey.
Water.
Rocks absorb heat, especially in a sunny site, so plants can dry out quickly. Make sure plants receive adequate water, especially during hot spells.
Fertilize.
Some plants such as alpines and succulents need little or no supplemental fertilizer, while others such as coral bells and hostas will benefit from a boost of nutrients. Research your plants needs and fertilize accordingly.
Weed.
A layer of smaller rocks or gravel acts as a natural weed suppressant, helping to keep the landscape low-maintenance. Keep areas free from weeds so plants don’t get overwhelmed or deprived of water and nutrients. Eventually, plants should fill in enough to suppress most weeds.
Prune.
Cut out dead growth and remove spent flowers to encourage new growth and keep a neat appearance.
ROCK GARDEN IDEAS
Keep rocks in scale with the yard. In this small space, rocks are stacked to create a sculptural water feature, while a single boulder placed strategically on the other side of the path helps balance the composition. Designers: Barbara Hilty and Adriana Berry. Photo: Janet Loughrey.
See more of this garden, including before/after photos and plants used.
Photo by: Proven Winners.
Designer Burl Mostul, Villa Catalana. Photo: Janet Loughrey.
Pick a style that matches your home and landscape. This Asian-style rock garden evokes a sense of calm and order. Designer: Helena Wagner, 4 Seasons Gardens. Photo: Janet Loughrey.
Creeping groundcovers such as woolly thyme can be used to soften hard rock surfaces. Gardener: Karen Olberding. Photo: Janet Loughrey.
Large scale rock garden or hillside terrace. Designer: Burl Mostul, Villa Catalana. Photo: Janet Loughrey.
Leave spaces between rocks for plants to grow. Gardener:: Karen Olberding. Photo: Janet Loughrey.
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By Stefan Gheorghe | Published on Reviewed by Lance Crayon
Buy Now
Rock garden is many things.
More than a landscape feature, the garden-style offers an alternative to lawn care. Let’s face it, not everyone gets excited about mowing or watering grass.
Your rock garden design can feature smooth pebbles, small trees, weathered stone, and sandy soil. If you want to create a natural world in your outdoor space, then there’s nothing wrong with that. However, if you’re not sure where to begin or what to do, leave it to us to get you started.
If you want to add depth to your backyard space, start a rock garden. Rocks can transform your outdoor landscape in ways that will blow your mind. Take a break from pushing a lawnmower in the summer heat, and discover the beauty of caring for a Zen garden, for example.
Amazing Rock Garden Ideas For Your Outdoor Space
Let’s jump right in and look at different rock garden designs that will turn your outdoor landscape from boring to exciting.
One proverbial natural resource in every backyard is rock.
With the number of rock varieties, you won’t have a problem finding a style to create an ideal garden design. In this example, large stones surround a small tree and a tiny grass plot.
Rock Garden Design
This is an example of how you can use different rock design themes in one backyard setting.
Stepping Stones
Zen backyard designs come in many shapes and sizes. Large slabs of rock make a perfect outdoor “staircase” for sloping backyards. For a more informal look, vary the sizes and shapes of the rock steps.
Weathered Stones
Mix and match sizes and colors of rocks on the same pathway to create visual interest and landscaping depth. Geography permitting, a surrounding mismatched pathway with various green foliage will increase the outdoor beauty.
DIY Rock Garden
Every rock garden is a DIY project. It’s for this reason that rock gardens are a wonderful outdoor endeavor. In this an example of landscaping with grasses and rocks.
A river rock design offers a “triple threat” in this backyard setting, designating an intuitive walkway and juxtaposing it against the wooden fence and green lawn.
Enchanted Rock Garden
Various sizes, shapes, and colors of rock combine to create a soothing yet energetic waterfall for a Zen backyard.
Succulent Rock Garden
The great thing about a rock garden is that you don’t need a massive amount of water. If you live in a dry area or next to a desert, then use succulents to create visual interest.
Green cactus landscaping is a delight. Notice how bluestone passes through a “river” of smaller rocks for a delightfully scenic and water-friendly backyard.
Contemporary Rock Garden
Rock walkways and patios are durable and easy to maintain, plus they add so much to the natural beauty of a backyard. Lawn pebbles border the seating area, creating a space outline.
Boulder Retaining Wall
Who said a rock garden had to be horizontal? Check out this vertical layout which also functions as a wall for your backyard space.
A simple but quite beautiful large-rock retaining wall has timeless appeal. Perennials soften the transition from rock wall to lawn.
Decorative Lawn Rocks
Plant a rock garden. With or without a water feature, rock gardens are a lovely way to transform that useless, troublesome backyard corner into a focal point.
Sculpted Lava Rock Garden
Mortared rock walls combine with tinted and stamped concrete to create a textured, unique, and beautiful backyard feature. A lovely accentuation for xeriscaping.
Smooth Pebbles
Pea gravel backyard designs are endless. You can also go with different colored smooth pebbles to make patterns and shapes in your garden. Incorporate the look and feel of water in the desert by laying light and dark rocks in a flowing two-tone formation.
Blue Rocks
Nobody knows what the best rocks for backyard spaces are, so do choose whatever you want. Check out the blue-toned rocks and see how they enhance the green of your backyard space.
With a miniature small rock garden, foliage can be planted into the rockway itself, creating a more seamless space.
Shabby Chic Rock Garden
The shabby chic aesthetic can be applied to your outdoor spaces just as easily as your indoor spaces. Give backyard visitors an inherent and obvious place to walk by laying a flagstone walkway.
Bright flowers alongside the pathway make for a pleasant passageway time and time again.
Formal Rock Decor
This Asian-inspired rock wall serves as a gorgeous backdrop for lighted plants but in no way takes the backstage in aesthetics.
Backyard Sanctuary
Set your landscaping alongside rock dividers. If you can include mature trees to arch overhead, then give that a shot.
Structured Environment
An outdoor rock layout doesn’t have to invoke chaos. If you want order, clean lines, and structure, then you’re free to design as such. For a low-maintenance twist on backyard plant life, embrace the concept of growing things in pots that sit atop a nice easy-to-manage rock bed.
Fire Pit Setting
If you live in an environment where it’s a little chilly at night, and you want to enjoy sitting outside, a backyard stone fire pit would be right for you. Nothing lengthens the relaxation of a summer’s evening like a well-suited backyard fire pit. Rock is an easy, functional, and aesthetic choice for a firepit.
Multi-level Backyard
Your backyard terrain will define the shape of your rock garden. Use rocks as small retaining walls for beautiful backyard terraces. This provides a huge visual bang for your acreage buck.
Ambient Stone Garden
Add a deeper dimension to your backyard setting with ambient lighting. sometimes, the best backyard isn’t a “yard” at all, but rather a strategically designed and landscaped mecca,with seamless rock walkways, sitting areas, plant life, and subtle privacy. You may find this difficult to believe, but some people prefer a rock garden that isn’t low maintenance.
Color Splashes
When you design your outdoor area, feel free to use complementary colors.
Plant perennials in the nooks and crannies of your rock wall and watch them come to life each spring and summer.
The Right Plants
You can’t go wrong with plants. After all, watering plants is easier than cutting grass with a lawnmower. Choose the right plants, for example, alpine plants would add a touch of class.
Get creative with rocks as flower bed borders. Depending on the size of the rocks, you can double or triple them up for a fluid, eye-catching edge.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)FAQ
How To Kill Weeds In A Rock Garden?
Glyphosate is the most effective weed killer for rock gardens. When building a rock garden, treat the area where you will lay your fabric with glyphosate. Wait for two weeks and spray the area with glyphosate.
Make sure you use woven fabric that has a 20 to 25-year warranty.
Note: Glyphosate is a strong chemical. Read the warning label and follow the instructions carefully.
What To Spray On Rocks To Prevent Weeds?
If you already have a rock garden, and it has a weed problem, you spray the weeds directly with white vinegar.
Be careful not to use too much as it could destroy your grass or nearby plants.
What Is The Point Of A Rock Garden?
A rock garden serves a variety of purposes ranging from functional to meditative. Those who dislike lawn care, see it as an erstwhile substitute. Rock gardens also add texture and visual interest to one-dimensional landscapes.
What Do You Put Under Landscape Rocks?
One of two things is used to go under landscape rocks, either spun landscape fabric or non woven landscape fabric. However, depending on the rocks, you might need to use thick woven fabric. The four main types of landscape fabrics are woven, non woven, spun, and perforated.
Rock Garden ConclusionA rock garden is a healthy respite from the doldrums associated with traditional lawn care. Maintaining a healthy green lawn is an American pastime, but one that should change. When you think about it, lawn maintenance is a waste of water, among many other things.
A rock garden does require some maintenance, but not nearly as much as standard green lawn. For example, Japanese rock gardens would be more beneficial to local ecosystems than grass lawns. If you wanted something similar, you could install a Zen garden. The experience would help you meditate while maintaining the rocks and sand in your garden.
You can get creative with rock garden design. Pair smaller rocks with small trees for visual interest. With plants like lamb’s ear and creeping phlox, you could turn a small space into a backyard focal point.
Stone Paving Pools - 135 Best Pool Design Ideas for Homes and Backyards
Full renovation, Additon, New cabana, new garage, Pool
My Boys Contracting
The Cabana and pool. Why vacation? Keep scrolling to see more!
Fresh Design Idea: Large Rectangular Classic Backyard Infinity Pool with Pool House and Stone Paving - Great Interior Photo
Modern Pool Retreat
Vernon Wentz
This is a wonderful lap pool that has a taste of modern with the clean lines and cement cabana that also has a flair of the rustic with wood beams and a hill country stone bench.
It also has a simple grass lawn that has very large planters as signature statements to once again give it a modern feel. Photography by Vernon Wentz of Ad Imagery
Grand Prato Estate
Design West
The infinity-edge swimming pool, which measures 40 by 60 feet, was designed so that water flows towards a crackling fire pit in this complete backyard entetainment space . nine0007
Hinsdale, IL Rectangular Swimming Pool, Sunshelf and Spa inside
Platinum Poolcare
Request Free Quote This pool and hot tub in Hinsdale, IL, completed this year, measures 20'0 x 40'0" and has a 7'0" x 8'0" hot tub inside the pool. The sunshelf measures 5'0" x 11 '0" and has steps attached. The pool coping is Valders Wisconsin Limestone. The pool also features LED colored lighting. An automatic cover protects and preserves the pool and spa together. Photos by Larry Huene
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The complexity yet calming beauty of the outdoor space shines with the custom lighting features as well as fire features and glowing waters.
The path into the pool circular fire patio provides the perfect vantage point for taking in all the well-appointed areas and outdoor rooms. Natural plantings are utilized to soften the hardscapes and add overhead colorful interest. Photography by Joe Traina
Natural Private Residence
Randy Angell Designs
The somewhat modest size of this beautiful back garden does not keep it from fulfilling numerous duties for this active family. Closest to the house itself are a screened sitting porch and a large outdoor dining area. One passes through antique wrought-iron gates to transition from the upper patios to the lawn area, separating the house from the pool. Slabs of Pennsylvania flagstone create a walkway through the lawn and around the swimming pool. Synthetic turf was selected for this project, in order to minimize maintenance issues and to ensure perfect grass at all times. The covered, open-air pavilion directly adjacent the pool is constructed with hand-carved posts and beams.
The concrete floor of the pavilion is stained to coordinate with the Pennsylvania flagstone decks. Housing the outdoor kitchen and bar area, as well as a TV sitting area, this poolside pavilion has become the favorite hang-out for the client's teenagers and their friends. Although our client wanted a curved line, natural pool, they wanted a bit of a modernized version, and something a bit more refined. One way we achieved this was by using long, sweeping curves around the perimeter of the pool, with hand-cut, and slightly chiseled, Oklahoma flagstone coping. Next, rather than using the typical boulders for the retaining wall, we set Oklahoma stone in an irregular flagstone pattern with butt-joints so that no mortar shows. The walls are capped with the same Oklahoma flagstone as is used on the coping. The spa is tucked in the back corner of the garden, and raised 20" above the pool. The spillway from the spa is created using a combination of long slab boulders along with smaller boulders, to create a gentle, natural waterfall to the pool.
Further refinement is shown in neatly trimmed appearance of the synthetic turf between the large slabs of Pennsylvania stone that create the pool deck.0007
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