Landscaping rock garden
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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Why Rock Gardens?
1/16
Drought is an ongoing and critical issue in the U.S. According to NASA, fully one-third of the nation’s acreage is experiencing at least moderate drought and some 53 million people live in drought-affected areas.
Homeowners can help combat drought by xeriscaping. Xeriscapes are landscapes that require little water besides what the sky provides, often incorporating native plants. Reducing the land’s reliance on rain is a smart move for anyone who cares about the Earth. Rock gardens are an easy, sometimes plant-free way to give any property a little extra personality, while also being environmentally friendly. Read on for rock garden ideas that are as effective in arid areas as they are attractive.
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Bright Hues and Rough-Hewn Rocks
2/16
Let’s say there’s lots of space elsewhere for patios, pergolas, and gazebos, with plenty of sloping lawn left over. Why not turn the area into a cheerful, colorful landscape? This rock garden idea pairs broad splashes of brightly hued flowers with the bold use of craggy, rugged rock. To achieve the effect, style this space like a sprawling terrace garden, with alternating sections of ground-cover plants—flowering thyme, phlox, and sedums—and wide, relatively flat rocks that can stand in as stepping stones when it’s weeding time.
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A Petite Little Pond
3/16
Nothing adds pizzazz to a backyard quite like a pint-sized pond full of fish and floating lily pads. Whether you stock koi for neo-Asian appeal or raise tilapia for Taco Tuesday, surround the pond with stones in a wide variety of sizes. Large, chunky rocks interspersed with smaller pebbles will delineate its perimeter—and discourage young visitors from wading. For a more dramatic effect, seek out Mexican or Caribbean beach pebbles.
Related: Make a Splash! 10 Stunning Backyard Ponds to Enhance Any Landscape
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Gravel in the Garden
4/16
You’ve heard of stopping to smell the roses; now get ready for sitting to sniff the snapdragons. A diminutive, decorative bench tucked among flat rocks that are flush with the ground gives visual appeal to an otherwise ho-hum flower bed. Here, the plants take a supporting role, yielding to the contrast between rich, dark mulch and small multi-colored stones.
A few flowering bushes in a variety of heights and shades of green are the only flora that’s needed.
Related: Pass on Grass: 7 Reasons to Landscape with Gravel
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Divide and Conquer a Large Lawn
5/16
Homebuyers love the idea of a large yard, but once they’ve signed on the dotted line, that lawn can be daunting. They might wonder what to do with such a great expanse of green (besides cursing how quickly the grass grows, that is.) If it isn’t level enough to play croquet, consider dividing the lawn into discrete areas that will serve different purposes. Think herb garden, butterfly or bee garden, even beehives or a chicken coop. Use large, boulder-like rocks to set these spaces apart and save you money on pavers.
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Rock That Walk
6/16
Rock garden ideas often exemplify the “more is more” philosophy, cramming in as many attention-getting elements as possible.
Not so with this minimalist row of stones edging a sidewalk. Just as a ribbon embellishes a dress hem, this narrow border of smooth pebbles running parallel to the walkway is sure to draw the eye. Any deep-green, leafy plant works well to complete this clean, asymmetrical style. (A row of low-water ornamental grasses, vibrant tiger lilies, or gladioli would be a stunning choice, too.)
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An Otherworldly Atmosphere
7/16
As night falls, it gradually alters the entire vibe of an outdoor living area. Anyone who entertains after the sun has set, or who simply loves to sit in the waning light and unwind, will get double the pleasure from their property. Look into illuminated rock garden ideas to create an enchanting evening-scape. Here, hefty rocks blend into the background during the day and then transform into an eerily beautiful moonscape in the light of these softly glowing outdoor orb lights (available at The Home Depot).
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Stone Pairs Perfectly with Succulents
8/16
Residents of drought-affected areas use inorganic materials in much greater quantities than their eastern-U.S. counterparts, of course. Here, the many multicolored pebbles function like Lebowski’s rug, really tying together the natural and manmade elements of this xeriscape. A solitary palm tree, a few widely spaced succulents, and a low stone wall come together in a balanced, aesthetically appealing tableau that’s no less lovely than a grassy lawn or a garden in bloom.
Related: 14 of the Best Plants for Your Drought-Tolerant Garden
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Stone Steps Elevate an Outdoor Space
9/16
A sloping yard can be a nuisance. It’s tricky to mow and challenging to garden—and all the soccer balls end up in the same downhill spot. Bi-level backyards, however, are super for entertaining, playing games, or grilling up a feast on a sun-drenched Sunday afternoon.
Define the split-level look with an elevated design (literally!). Wide, irregular stone steps both separate and connect the two distinct spaces.
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A Thoroughly Modern Rock Garden
10/16
Here’s a rock garden idea for folks who never, ever colored outside the lines as a kid or who consider Marie Kondo their role model. With only three main elements—precisely pruned shrubs that look like giant green Rubik’s cubes; oversized square pavers, and a tidy rectangle of monochromatic stones—the design is simple, but its overall effect is stunning. Choosing marble chips instead of stones makes this minimalist composition next-level.
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Country-Garden Charm
11/16
Although it winds its meandering way through an assortment of cheerful blossoms and stately boulders, this garden path is also straightforward. That’s due to the midsized slate chips strewn across its surface.
Horizontally-oriented rock is just what’s wanted for a charming footpath, one that might lead to a wishing well or a couple of wrought-iron cafe chairs.
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A River Rocks Through It
12/16
Thanks to its gently curving lines and seaweed-like tufts of foliage, this broad border brings to mind a meandering river or a rocky point at the ocean’s edge. Either way, it’s wonderfully evocative, and its resemblance to a body of water makes it a remarkable example of xeriscaping. Moreover, it helps cut back on lawn maintenance and is sure to catch the eye of visitors, pizza delivery people, or anyone who pulls their vehicle into the driveway.
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Keep It Simple (with) Stones
13/16
This rather expansive rock bed serves the same purpose as the velvet background in a jewelry case: reflecting attention right back to the exquisite objects on display. Gardeners who specialize in growing rare plants could use this technique to make certain their prize specimens are appropriately appreciated.
Whether the exhibited items are unusual plants, notable rocks, or even manmade treasures like sculptures, a simple surface of stones—smooth pebbles, snowy-white pea gravel, or chunky creek rocks—will set them off to their best advantage.
Related: Entertain the Whole Family at Home with 10 DIY Lawn Games
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Small Format Flair
14/16
Choosing the right rock accent might require some comparison shopping. If carpeting a large section, go with less-expensive gravel and buy in bulk. For a smaller space abutting the front steps or surrounding the mailbox, check out decorative landscaping material. The parti-colored stones shown here are pretty, albeit fairly tame. Artists and dreamers who want dramatic rock garden ideas might try polished black pebbles or moonlike lava stones to add interest to an otherwise ordinary area.
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Think Inside the Box
15/16
Art buffs who admire the abstract, geometric paintings of
Piet Mondrian
might be drawn to a stylized lawn.
Unlike landscapes that incorporate—and emulate—the surrounding terrain’s natural contours, this design offers a deliberately boxy composition. Yet even the strictest layout still allows for creativity. Choose either contrasting or complementary materials to fill each section for divergent (but equally striking) effects. Select stones in a variety of sizes and foliage with a mix of heights to create your “lawn-drian” masterpiece.
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Channel Southwestern Culture
16/16
Evoking the spirit of the sunny southwest is easy. Step 1: Purchase an adobe-style home. Step 2: In the forecourt, arrange a selection of succulents, a few hot-pepper plants, and some hardy grasses. Step 3: Finish the Southwestern look with plenty of small stones; warm earth tones ranging from buff to burnt sienna will look the best. Step 4: Cook up a big batch of frijoles charros, crack open some cold ones, and throw open your door to the company of your closest friends.
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If you have the money to hire a handyman for every household woe, go ahead. But if you want to hang on to your cash and exercise some self-sufficiency, check out these clever products that solve a million and one little problems around the house. Go now!
ideas for using stone in the garden
Decorating the landscape with stones is a true Japanese tradition with a special philosophy and symbolism. But even without a deep meaning, you can arrange a beautiful stone composition in front of the house or in the garden. Although it is necessary to know the principles and features of this method of decoration, especially for those who want to transform the site with their own hands. What is a rock garden? Plants are also used, but as an additional element.
Japanese symbolism manifests itself in this decor with special options for laying stones. So, compositions in the form of sacred animals are common: the crane symbolizes the inner height to which everyone should strive, and the turtle - longevity.
Stacking of stones in groups of 3 is explained by the characteristic triad of Buddhism. Another feature is the leveling of the site with a rake, forming grooves directed along the long side of the site and around groups of stones in the form of a circle. It symbolizes waves and islands. The legends often talk about such unusual islands, on which all living things are immortal.
Options for using stone in landscaping in a country house
Gardens and cottages are decorated with stone, making them not only a Japanese garden, but also other options for landscape decoration, for example:
Features of choosing stones for a garden There are several principles for the formation of a rocky garden. They are expressed in a harmonious combination of the following characteristics:
- the shape of the elements - this is especially important when installing single objects, it is advisable to choose stones with naturally processed chips, cube-shaped elements do not look like, but stepped, round and flat minerals are good for the garden, oriented horizontally or vertically;
- structure — the harder the stone, the more durable it is and more suitable for creating beautiful and sustainable compositions, and its texture can be any, but combined with other decor;
- color - any matte or glossy shade will do, but it is important to use stones in the same range and with a little shine;
- quantity - the total odd number of elements, arranged in groups of several pieces, is practiced.
It is not so difficult to take into account these rules if you first draw up a composition plan. To do this, it is important:
- not to install in a bundle elements of the same height, as well as similar dimensions in shape;
- in one composition include either only water or only mountain stones;
- adhere to the unity of the color scheme of the composition;
- do not place stones only horizontally or vertically, but alternate and combine.
Stone placement tips
Usually a stone landscape composition is made up of an odd number of cobblestones and minerals, as well as vegetation. Greens are planted at different levels. All this is surrounded by a lawn and paths lined with pebbles or bricks are added, as well as small sculptures or bridges. Orient the garden in an east or south direction, choosing a place that is dimly lit by the sun's rays.
Alpine slideAlso, when placing minerals on the site, the following rules must be taken into account:
- the largest elements are deepened by about a third, lying on the slope - the same or deeper, and small ones - by a smaller part, you just do not need to put them on the site;
- boulders of the same size or shape are not used;
- to balance energy and create a harmonious space, it is better to include more horizontal minerals in the composition.
The most common arrangement of stones is the formation of a scalene triangle of connected objects.
How to make a rock garden
You can build a rock garden on a plot of any size. If there is very little free territory, then it can be a mini-garden.
To work, you need a pre-drawn plan for the location of stones and plants, and the material itself.
Site selection and preparation
The main purpose of a stone garden is to create a place for relaxation, rest and solitude. Therefore, it is better to equip it in a corner of the site that is hidden and not visible from the windows. If the landscape design already has a reservoir or it is planned, then next to it it is advisable to choose a place for a rock garden.
The shape of the garden does not have to be geometrically precise. Round, square, rectangular borders are not the best solution. It is good to make the composition uneven and asymmetrical, to fit it into the natural landscape.
The preparation of the base is carried out as follows:
- Clear the area from debris, remove weeds.
- Mark the contour, create a fence along it - lay out the bars, make a retaining wall for the structure on the slope.
- Prepare the soil - cover the site with a film, pour a layer of gravel or sand up to 5 cm thick on top, level the surface with a rake.
In this version, plants are planted along the fence and only complement the composition. If they are needed inside the composition, between the boulders, then when preparing the site, it is not necessary to lay the film. Its purpose is to protect against weeds.
Stone placement and decor
Free-form boulders with traces of nature, such as moss-covered or water-washed areas, are suitable. They need to be arranged according to a pre-planned plan. You can form groups of three cobblestones that differ in both shape and size, or place the stones singly. Usually the largest of them is placed first and considered to be the center of the composition.
Other elements are already being arranged from it.
It is important that each stone is viewed from all sides.
Additionally, the composition is decorated with bridges, statues and other elements.
But the garden looks good without them, but only with drawings on the base and paths. Patterns are applied to a leveled area of gravel or sand, using a rake with teeth of various shapes and thicknesses.
Paths are made if a large area is allocated for the garden. Suitable for them:
- concrete tiles or bricks - laid with joints of different widths within 1-3 cm;
- flat stones - the elements are not laid back to back, but at a distance of about 5 cm, and low grass looks good in between them.
It is better not to make the shape of the tracks clear and straight. A rock garden needs smooth lines, curves, widening and narrowing paths in different places.
Plants in a rock garden
Greenery is used to enliven the garden.
But it should not be much, because the plants only complement the whole composition and make it more natural. Suitable different cultures:
- stunted trees - thuja, juniper, dwarf willow, birch or pine;
- shrubs - cotoneaster, barberry;
- herbaceous plants - crocuses, geraniums, forget-me-nots;
- ground cover plants - thyme, phlox, saxifrage.
Trees and shrubs are planted before the site is prepared for gardening. But you can do this later or put the plants in pots. Large ceramic flowerpots are matched to the tone of the stones used, and small pots can be masked with pebbles or gravel.
Coniferous plants are most successfully combined with stones. Since the garden is recommended to be done in hidden places, these are often shaded corners. Therefore, the plants must also be shade-tolerant, for example, yew or tuevik . You can also plant dwarf spruces of different varieties. They also grow well in the shade and are suitable for landscaping a rock garden - ferns.
Gravel garden
It is planted in a slightly shaded area with moderately moist soil. Landscape irregularities do not need to be removed, since the garden is completed at landscape style and fits into the existing nature. The shape of the composition is usually uneven, with slight curves and no sharp corners.
To create such a garden, you need to make:
- gravel filling - for this, a fine fraction material of any tone is chosen and a 5 cm thick layer is laid on peat or sand, covered with geotextile;
- landscaping - plant coniferous and ground cover plants, put flower beds in pots;
- paths - made from saw cuts of trunks, flagstone, boards, laying out winding paths.
Planting is more important for this garden than for the Japanese one. If in the second, plants only complement the stones and usually sit only outside the perimeter of the composition, framing it, then for the second, more greenery can be used.
A good solution is a year-round flowering garden. An approximate set of plants for him can be as follows:
- bloom first - primroses, crocuses, blueberries;
- bloom in May - early summer - tulips, irises, bluebells;
- July, August - shavings, daylilies;
- bloom all year - astilba;
- bloom until the first frost - asters, dahlias.
In order for all plants to take root and develop well, it is important to follow the planting rules:
- since the soil is isolated from gravel by geotextile, cuts are made in the material to plant plants;
- planting points must be fertilized before laying the geotextile;
- groups of perennials are planted in isolated areas of soil.
In the first year of development, perennials should be watered abundantly, and later every few days, as gravel retains water well
The main stages of work in the arrangement of any garden are: Some activities are excluded, such as laying cobblestones for rock garden. A stone garden is a beautiful element of landscape decor in front of the house, in the country house, in the garden. Creating a simple composition is easy. Since there are several varieties of the garden, surface irregularities and other features of the relief are used to create an unusual and natural composition. Alfira Sagitova Landscape designer Ask a question I have been doing landscape design since 2010. I'm waiting for your questions in the comments or private messages in VK or Facebook group. dizlandshafta The rock garden is an interesting opportunity for self-realization. It is one of the types of landscape design that encourages positive thinking. It is most often chosen by people who are looking for solitude and peace of mind. After all, the achievement of one's "zen" is the main idea of the philosophy of Japan and this unique style. Every Japanese has great respect for the places where the stones are located, and considers them sacred. According to the teaching, in such a garden a person should reflect on the eternal, contemplate the beauty of the world, admire the images of the universe. Because this garden has its own principles and concepts: One of the peculiarities of the rock garden is the approach of stone stylization. It is important that each part of the entire tandem is inherent in exactly the area in which this work of landscape art is created. And the process of creation itself should be trusted only to true professionals in the field of spiritual teachings. If you make a garden on your own, it should be only a good mood, a positive attitude and a clear adherence to your karmic essence. To create a real place for the formation and recreation of the energy of space, specialists in this field of landscape design offer five main subspecies of stones: Competent selection of external data of each stone is also important. If the composition consists of a minimum number of components, then it is important to focus on the shape of the stone base. After all, if it has too sharp corners, it can repel the eye and cause disharmony, that is, the opposite of the desired effect. For the proper placement of all stones in the garden, there are strict rules that must be followed in order to obtain the desired result. 
Japanese rock garden. Device, philosophy and style features
