Small front yard rock garden
20 Rock Garden Designs Landscaping Ideas for Front Yard - Home and Garden
What comes to your mind when I say garden? Colorful flowers and lush green grasses? Or Sweet and relaxing scents? I bet. But it can be more than that. How? Let us see.
A garden can be more than its greens, pinks, and sweet smells. Also, with unpredictable weather patterns and business lifestyle, the traditional gardens and the maintenance that comes along with it is losing its appeal.
Considering that a rock garden seems to be an interesting concept to look upon. Rock gardens are also one of the latest front yard landscaping ideas that are trending all over the world. They are low maintenance and can play a leading role in garden design.
If you are looking for some fascinating and unique rock garden ideas for a front yard, then be for we are providing you with sparking ideas that will blow your mind.
So, read this article to learn more about rock gardens and get inspired with some of the best ideas around!
What is Rock Garden?
Rockery, or rock garden, is basically a garden where rocks and rock arrangement play an important part in the design. Traditionally, rockery is imagined to be a heaped arrangement of rocks with soil and rock plants around them.
Before you decide on starting a rock garden, do proper research and planning and envision the finished product. Investing your time in planning will help you consult with a local nursery or check out online tutorials and find the best plan for your garden.
Benefits of having a Rock Garden.
Rocks are overtaking the traditional gardens due to many reasons. Some of them are given below-
They Can Survive in Harsh Environments
Harsh environments are no longer a concern for you. Intense sun, strong winds, or long droughts will not have any effect on your garden. Rock gardens can tolerate all sorts of extreme weather conditions, a major part being played by the plants and the foliage that are included in them. They can do well both in the rain and at times of droughts.
Make Your Yard Appear Larger
, Unlike traditional gardens, Rock gardens require fewer plants, leaving larger spaces that can be filled by smaller rocks to make your yard full without feeling overgrown.
This makes your garden look larger than it is.
Low Maintenance
Isn’t this the first reason why we thought of rock gardens? With most people having busy lives, we cannot be bothered to stay on top of mowing the lawn, watering the garden, pruning the flowers, or weeding the yard. We can use rocks and cacti to bring plants’ life in and water responsibilities out.
Diversify the Yard.
Who said diversity occurs only in living creatures? Rock gardens can be easily made of a combination of tiny pebbles, large stones, and big boulders, all working together to create depth and diversity.
Looks Great Year Around
To enjoy the rock gardens throughout the year, do not forget to use a combination of flowering plants that bloom in the spring and summer, as well as foliage and evergreens.
Rock Garden Ideas and Designs
Let us now dive into some unique rock garden landscaping ideas and designs that you can try and recreate for your home and garden. Do not forget to add your touch or favorite element from them into your design.
Rock Gardens with Plants
A very basic rule for picking plants for your rock garden is to pick the small ones that take drought well. You can consider creeping plants or tiny bulbs and succulents that will look great in your rock garden.
While we suggest small plants, do not limit yourself to getting just that. Big plants can also look great in this kind of garden.
Stones in Equilibrium
Want to do something exciting and challenging? This idea is best for you. It is a bit challenging, and you might not be able to do this in the first go.
But the final structure is worth taking all those efforts. Of course, do not just expect these stones to align themselves, you can use nails and other tactics to give them the structure you want to.
Landscaping Stairs with Stones
Houses that are located on hills or have large front yards can use this idea to make them look beautiful. Steps designed with stones are generally seen in theme parks.
Installing such rock stairs makes the landscape look more appealing, giving easy access to the home.
Add colorful pots, wild plants to give a jungle and wild sort of effect, giving you a feel of ancient times.
Buddha inspired Rock Gardens.
This attractive idea is an easy pull-off if you have a Buddha statue lying around. If you do not have one, no worries. You can still use any centerpiece to replace the statue.
Surround it with pebbles and some plants (especially bamboo) to give it an aesthetic look.
Flat Slab Walkaway Garden
Gardens with a natural vibe all around give a sense of calmness and relief. Ever wondered what extra you could do to establish that vibe in your garden?
Rocks can bring a more natural feel than concrete. And that is exactly what you can do to bring that natural vibe into your garden. Add such flat slabs alongside the wooden planks in your rock garden to give it a touch of architecture and nature.
Well, of Rocks.
Remember how in the olden days, people used to gather around wells to collect water for their daily needs? Well, we could use not same, but similar kind of idea to design our front yard.
Making that sort of a circle full of stones and placing a small fountain in the center will add a lot of beauty to your front yard while giving you the experience of the olden days.
Center Boulder
The centerpiece in your garden need not always be a fountain or a statue.
Look at these boulders. Do not they look amazing. Similarly, you can use such attractive stones and make them focus on your garden.
Beautifying the Fence
While we give so much time and effort to beautifying every inch of our house, we often forget to give some time to our fences and leave it like that. Fences can also be decorated with stone pathways beside them.
You can add some plants in between to make it look more appealing. You can add colors by planting flowers in them or painting the stones with your favorite colors.
Garden Pond with Rocks
Do you have a pond or water feature in your garden? If yes, this might be a great idea that you can use to beautify your front yard. Smooth stones look great on the bank of water bodies. They can be used as a stepping platform when you peer over your pond.
Add some plants to make it look more natural. You can also add distinctive features like an artificial hand pump or pots to make it look more appealing.
Bonfire in Backyard
Winter nights plus bonfire is…best combo, isn’t it? Well, you can build a bonfire in your yard to get warm on wintery nights. Make it more using green plants and chips.
Arrange sitting across the bonfire and enjoy your little camping in your yard.
Front Yard Steps
Rocks can be used to form stairs entrance in front of your home. As aesthetic and beautiful as it looks, they are also sturdier than normal wooden or concrete stairs.
The stairs will also eclipse your house from neighboring houses.
The space around the stairs can be left or can be filled with grass to increase the beauty of the stairs.
Artistic Designs in Front Yard with Stones
Stones and rocks from your garden can also be used to decorate your lawns. You can create a garden and include a rock labyrinth of large flat stones on a graveled area and frame the stone garden with native and exotic plants.
The best part of using this idea is its simplicity, and it is very easy to create, maintain, and looks amazing in your front yard. All you got to do for this is to take a square plot of sand with scattered rocks, minimal and stylized grass added to it.
Japanese Zen Rocks
Why always stick to usual rocks and stones? Zen gardens feature and reflect natures, reaching right into the heart.
Add some fine greenery in the background and sides with rocks resembling huge jades spread on the ground. You can also add a Zen feel by using extra props and enhancing the visual aspects of the garden without compromising its meditative and calm appeal.
Rock Dike Pond
If your house features any water bodies like a pond or waterfall, and you want to show it off in a flashy way, then having some rock dikes on your pond would be perfect for you!
Rock dikes make sure that no one can pass beyond its borders while completing the pond.
Rock Mosaic Garden Design
Stones and rocks come in different shapes and sizes, which gives us the freedom to get creative with them. Creating a rock mosaic with them is a unique way to go for it.
These beautiful pieces of art are perfect as steps or designs of walkaways, beautifying the way to your home with homeliness and grace.
Rock Garden Terrace
Who said rock gardens are just for front yards, back yards, or other landscapes? Can they be a part of terraces as well?
They are neat and add a beautiful aesthetic to the location they are placed. Depending on how you place them, your stones can shine as the main attraction or complement your star plants.
Contrasting Rock Spiral
Doing something creative, out of the box is what makes things different and unique. The same is what we can apply while using rocks as décor items.
Instead of placing them side by side, we can be creative and arrange them in a contrasting spiral. Dark-colored pebbles can be easily found, but you probably must buy white pebbles from garden or landscaping stores as they are not as common as black ones. But the output is worth spending that much money on.
Rocky Entryway
Now, this is something that will require more than just your time. It will require more effort, more skills, and even more materials than other ideas on our list. But I can promise the result will catch your eyes as well!
Get someone to help you with this project. You will get some time to spend with your friend and can easily pull off this extremely attractive magical entryway to your garden. Most importantly, make sure to glue the stones properly to ensure that they will not fall.
Rock Mulch
Mulching is basically a technique of covering the surface of the soil with organic material to help retain temperature and moisture.
Using rocks for this purpose is more decorative than functional on the surface and has its own merits. It will make your flower beds look neater, more attractive, and just overall lovely to look at.
Rock Garden with Waterfall
There is no lie in saying that we all at one point wanted to have a waterfall in our front yard or back yard.
Just the sound of water falling and splashing as it cascades down makes it amazing. You can make it more beautiful by adding some waterproof LED lights to create an interesting sight in your garden. If you are someone who loves it, then we would suggest you go for it!
Conclusion
So, many ideas to go for. Now the real challenge for you will be to choose one from these ideas. All of them are easy to execute. You just need to have the right amount of time and know what you want.
Be a little creative and add your own inputs to give it a personal touch.
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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Stones in the garden as a decoration of the site: photos and ideas - how to make a rock garden with your own hands
The art of the Japanese rock garden is based on two opposite principles: the perfect calculation of the master and the naturalness of untouched nature
The Japanese feel and understand the thin line between artificial and natural, like no one. It is so customary for them: to bring everything to perfection, but without pressure and violence. The main thing is to reveal what is already inherent in nature itself.
The dry rock garden is called "karesansui" in Japanese, which can be translated as "dry mountains and waters". For the Japanese, he seems to be a frozen embodiment of cosmic laws. Karesansui can also be called a Zen Buddhist garden, since it is this configuration that monks use for everyday meditation on the path of enlightenment.
For a European, “dry mountains and waters” can become a decoration of the site next to the house and a great place to gather your thoughts and think about the eternal.
The art of a traditional Japanese garden requires from the one who designs it not a simple set of techniques, but spiritual perfection. Having reached the desired state, the master almost intuitively creates a complete composition without meticulous calculations and concern for every detail. Although the basic knowledge, of course, should also be: it is important to distinguish the traditional dry Japanese garden from its modern interpretations, to feel the original aesthetics and understand the basic principles of organization.
From the very beginning, we need to define what we mean by a dry rock garden in general. In Japan, there are other varieties of garden design. For example, gardens for walking along a carefully planned route or small gardens in the backyard. But even in the art of creating a dry rock garden, there are many schools that differ from each other in the smallest nuances.
Listing them all is a thankless task. However, there are general laws, which we will try to describe.
Garden Mentors
"Painting frozen in stone"
The rock garden is organized in such a way that, even with its frozen form, the impression is created that the waters are moving and the mountains are growing. In fact, a rock garden is a link that connects painting and sculpture. In modern language, it could even be called an installation. No wonder contemporary artists do not stop looking towards the East.
The Japanese themselves strive to organize any garden so that it looks like in a picture. Remember the famous genre of oriental landscape painting? "Mountains and waters" ("shanshukhua") - that is, in translation almost "karasensui", only without the epithet "dry". The general color scheme of the garden, which excludes the bright flower arrangements familiar to us, is practically reduced to the monochrome palette of the shanshukhua scrolls.
Debra Prinzing
Often a classic dry garden looks exactly like in the photo: several stones of different shapes are laid out in a special way on a flat area of sand. A classic shot in any movie about Buddhist monks: a man in a cassock drives a rake across the sand. The pattern goes around each stone and imitates concentric circles of waves that seem to scatter in different directions.
Beginning of beginnings
In the composition of any garden there will be a central element and a number of auxiliary ones. But construction begins with the first, cornerstone. One can recall a telling story: at 19In 34, the Hiyoshigawa River overflowed its banks and brought an impressive boulder to the site of the abbot of the local temple, which rolled down the mountain. And then, instead of forcing the monks to drag this boulder over the fence, the abbot decided to build a garden around the stone. This is the Japanese approach - to randomly find patterns, and use everything that happens to your advantage.
Ground One Landscape Design + Build
Solid Hierarchy
There are several groups of stones in a Zen garden. Among them are primary and auxiliary. Within each group, a hierarchy is also preserved - the main stone is called “omo-ishi”. The foundational Japanese gardening treatise, Sakuteiki, states that all other stones in a garden should be selected according to omo-ishi.
Modern Zen Garden
Landscaping triad
The foundations of Japanese landscape design are built around a central garden group called sanzonseki, consisting of three stones of different sizes. Smaller stones are located on the left and right sides of the large boulder. The smaller stones should be placed horizontally while the lead stone is placed vertically.
Stones symbolize the triad of Buddhist deities. It is based on the ancient Japanese cult of worship of nature in general and stone in particular.
To appreciate the power of the latter, ask the price of garden stones that are sold in Japan itself: they cost fabulous money. The Japanese give names to the most valuable stones and even write provenances for them.
Melanie Wilson Landscape Design
Time to collect
When searching for suitable stones, the master should be guided by the following tips. Stones are best selected with a pronounced ornament and asymmetrical shape, with clear edges and a rough texture.
Debra Prinzing
True to the original
Since every stone is believed to be inhabited by a spirit, traditionally stones cannot be used in a context other than their origin. Therefore, artificial mountains in a dry garden can only depict cobblestones brought from the mountains, while riverbeds should only be imitated by river pebbles.
The correct location of the stone is determined by its natural characteristics: depressions, cracks and the like.
Cathy Warner
The Long-lived Heron and the Wise Tortoise
Another contender for center stage in the dry garden is the "tsurukame-ishigumi": a structure of two stones, one representing a heron and the other a turtle. According to the tradition of Chinese garden art, whose images were borrowed by the Japanese, such a combination of stones symbolized long life and wisdom.
In modern Japanese garden art, a group of herons and turtles is used to create a contrast between young high mountains and ancient peaks hewn by time. It is believed that this technique effectively expresses the idea of an endless cycle in nature, when the old is replaced by the new.
Debra Prinzing
Sand Through Your Fingers
In addition to stones, the most important part of the meditation garden is the platform of sand, which symbolizes the expanse of the ocean, sky, space, or even the Zen "nothing".
Special sand for the rock garden is called "shikisuna". The most famous variety consists of crushed granite with the addition of white feldspar, gray quartz and black mica. Granite granules are larger and not as uniform as those of coastal sand: it is easier to create wavy patterns or small mounds that do not crumble in place.
In addition to sand, dry gardens use gravel and crushed stone. Gravel is used when they want to fill up paths or grooves to drain water from a country house. Rubble most often decorates the banks or the bottom of streams, ponds and any other reservoirs in green Japanese gardens. However, they are also used in a dry garden - for example, to simulate waterfalls or riverbeds.
Cathy Warner
Moss with them
It may seem that plants are excluded from dry gardens, but this is not entirely true. For example, they may be present in the surrounding landscape, and in the garden itself, the use of moss or other creeping plants is acceptable.
Moss creates a calming and relaxing atmosphere, so it is quite possible to find it in a Zen garden. It is appropriate to plant moss around cobblestones, creating a kind of border between stone and gravel or sand.
Sometimes azaleas are found in dry gardens, planted in large masses in the form of clouds, balls or waves. It is important to create a green mass without flowers, so azaleas are trimmed immediately after flowering.
Lost in translation
Demonstrated principles, even when you do not know all the nuances of Japanese gardening art, help to better feel natural materials and not make simple mistakes.
If there is no task to completely and completely reproduce the Japanese garden according to all the canons, then you can adopt the elements and techniques you like and rethink them creatively.
Let's say the example shown in the photo bears little resemblance to a traditional Japanese garden. Especially if you pay attention to the fence of polished pipes and the curb between the snow-white sand and smooth pebbles.
With all this, the use of the very idea of a dry garden imitating a river is obvious, although it was done in a European manner.
Lee's Oriental Landscape Art
Out&in
In our climate, one option might be to move the garden into the interior of the house. For the Japanese, due to different climatic conditions and architectural traditions, this is completely alien. We, even in the winter, when we have to spend almost around the clock indoors, want to touch nature.
A dry garden in this respect is ideal for those who forget to water the flowers, who are too lazy to observe the temperature regime necessary for the greenhouse, cut the branches, change the soil - in general, take care of the plants in every possible way.
In our rather eclectic time, one can indulge in any experiments and combine seemingly incompatible things. Why play only with the European tradition, sometimes you can touch the enchanting world of the East?
It is enough to lay the stones on the sand, move a rake around them, and the space that used to seem unkempt and deserted will turn into a place for thoughtful contemplation.
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.
Contents
What is a rock garden
This is the name given to a structure in the form of an area of arbitrary shape, usually covered with pebbles or gravel, sometimes mixed with sand, on which cobblestones, boulders and other stone material are distributed in a special order. 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 landscape design in the 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 the choice of stones for the 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 the 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 - a total odd number of elements is practiced, arranged in groups of several pieces.
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 elements of the same height in a bundle, 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 HillAlso, 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 that have 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.
Rock garden plants
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 do:
- 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, limestone, 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 with 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: 
