JOIN USRock gardens are for those who don’t have the patience or time for a traditional flower garden. A Dyuti shares some tips on how to create this beautiful, rustic entity in your home.
You must have heard of rock gardens and probably seen them too. Wondering why people go for them? For those who don’t have the time for a full-fledged garden, but still long for a beautiful oasis around their house, rock garden is the perfect solution. Though not zero-maintenance, a rock garden requires comparatively lesser efforts than conventional gardens. If there’s a particularly dull area of your garden that you’re struggling to spruce up, a rock garden could be the answer. Or, if you’ve a regular garden in the front yard but are itching for some novelty in your backyard, go in for a rock garden. If Zen’s your thing, a Japanese rock garden will add a surreal appeal to the area. If your garden area suffers from poor drainage, a rock garden with a waterfall is ideal.
But, wait! Just because a rock garden is touted to be a low-effort programme, it would be wrong to assume that all that’s involved is dumping of some rocks in any random location. Conjuring up a lovely rock garden needs perfect planning, some skills and cartloads of creativity. So, read on to learn the basics of rock gardening.
Location matters
First, identify a proper location. If you’ve decided on your plant varieties beforehand, then choose a spot that accommodates their sunlight and shade needs. But if you are choosing the location first, then select plant varieties that can thrive in that location. Next, think about the features you want in your rock garden. Will it be a all-rock and sand Zen garden? Or, will you introduce greenery for some breathtaking landscaping? Would you prefer some water feature like a pond, fountain, waterfall or Koi pond? Once these choices are decided on, chalk out the locations for each of these. Cross-check whether the terrain is large and suitable enough for accommodating all these
entities.
Remember, choice of rocks involves a basic question – do you want natural or artificial ones? Natural is always beautiful. But, these days, artificial landscaping rocks of various shapes, sizes and colours are available in the market and you can pick those that fit into your rock garden picture.White or coloured marble stones, lava rocks and limestone ones are some of your options. Marble, granite, slate and agate are helpful when you want a colourful rock garden.
If you want rocks to edge a pond, take care to set small or medium-sized rocks firmly (with cement too, if you think it’s essential) to prevent pets and kids from unsettling them. As a safety measure, also reject rocks with sharp edges.
Size in question
Medium-sized rocks are ideal for bordering the pond or fountain, while large ones can line the walkways. Use large rocks as accent boulders. Such large ones can also act as a focal point of your garden. For a complete look, bury a large boulder halfway into the ground, set some gravel or pebbles around its bottom and add plants at its base.
Small-sized landscaping rocks, gravel or pebbles can be spread as ground cover, wherever you don’t want bare soil to be visible. For the waterfall, you’ll need flat stones for the spillway, medium-sized rocks for the border and a sloping mud mound in your yard’s corner.
But, another basic question arrives in tandem with the above aspects – how much rock? Will gravel merely fill the walkways and pebbles line them? Or, will flat stones or cobblestones simply create a pathway in your lawn? Perhaps, you can focus only on any focal point of your garden – say, a fountain, a pond, a huge tree with pots under it, a statue or a sundial. Or you can also go in for rocks around your desert plants. For those who don’t want the extra effort, you can also set a small rock garden against the compound. Choosing from these options will help you decide upon the kind and quantity of rocks you’ll need.
Before beginning to stack rocks in your garden, mark out the specific spots after clearing the area of weeds or plants. While setting them in their assigned locations, scrape out some soil and ensure the rocks are firmly wedged into the ground. Leave enough spaces for the plants you’ve planned to accompany the rocks.
As for plant varieties, it’s wise to choose the hardier guys for easy maintenance and water conservation. Cacti needn’t always be of the prickly type; there are pretty flowering ones too. Choose brown rocks to complement desert plants. Flowering plants and tufts of grasses serve as contrast where you’ve chosen white marble rocks.
So, get going and get started on your rock garden. Let this dreamy combination of rustic elements and greenery set apart your homely abode.