A rock garden is a beautiful way to make your home’s exterior look appealing and inviting. Even if you have a lush green lawn, you may still want a rock garden to add another earthy element to your yard. The type of rock garden you choose will depend on the size of your garden and your personal style, so keep these suggestions in mind when you are ready to create a rock garden for your outdoor space.
Rock Gardens on a Hill
If you have a lot of hilly areas in your yard, a rustic rock garden is likely a good choice. There are several plants and flowers that will grow in cold and harsh weather conditions to add color to this space and make it one of the most attractive parts of your yard. Iris and daffodil flowers are ideal blooms to add to the rock garden since these flowers will still thrive during the cooler months of the year. These flowers also have pronounced colors that partner well with gray rocks. Selecting large rocks and placing them in a circle before adding rocks in the center to create a small hill forms a simple design that is easy to maintain.
Rock Fence Garden
Use dark gray or slate-colored rocks to create a fence around your garden. You can add Alpine plants that are rich in color to the rock garden, including aubrieta and dianthus, which have deep blue and red hues. The rock wall also offers a stylish border for edible plants that thrive in the summer, such as melon, tomatoes, and eggplants. After choosing the rocks you would like for your border, be sure to fill the center of the walled space with soil that will work best for the plants you are tending to. The rock fence garden makes a great addition to the front of the home since it adds color that will pop against your home’s brick or wooden siding. You can also create small versions of a rock wall to resemble a vase or pot before adding soil to the middle and growing the plants of your choice inside.
Multirock Garden
Remember you do not have to use one type of rock or stone to create your garden space. A rock garden area with lots of texture will draw the eye to this area of the garden and can serve as a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the weather. Add a bench or stool to the rock garden area and surround the sitting area with rocks of various sizes. Or, you can create the rock garden near the walkway leading to the front or back door of your home. Conifers and shrubs are ideal for this type of garden since they add even more texture to the space and make it more visually interesting.
Sloping Rock Garden
If there is a noticeable slope in your front yard and your house sits at the top of an incline, a sloping rock garden will add more curb appeal. Large rocks of varying textures and colors are ideal for this type of garden, and you can add a pop of color to this outdoor feature by adding shrubs and perennials that grow well in your area. Creeping cedar and yucca are ideal choices, and Japanese maple is also a great choice because it stays healthy and green all year.
Fountain Rock Garden
If you like the minimalist style of decorating and have plenty of plants and greenery throughout your yard, a rock garden that features a fountain or small stream can make for a tranquil space that can be your go-to area when you want to relax outside. If necessary, ask a professional to assist with the setup so you can be sure the water is flowing in the direction you want and won’t damage the lawn or other flowers you have in your yard. Statues and a bird fountain are other features you may want to add to the space since these allow you to express more of your creativity and are an invitation for the colorful birds that live in your area to come visit your rock garden for a while.
Evergreen Rock Garden
When you include evergreen plants in your rock garden, it will be green and beautiful all year long. Huge boulders are best for this type of garden since they complement Japanese irises, as well as box plants and Daphne. This is also a great place to plant lavender since the plant is very relaxing, will last all year, and you can even pick some of the plant to bring inside as a flower arrangement for the table or as a natural remedy to promote tranquility. Camellia plants are also stunning additions to an evergreen rock garden, especially when the blooms start to appear in bright colors during the spring season.
Sculptured Rock Garden
While many rock gardens showcase the natural shape and texture, a sculptured rock garden can be one of the most appealing parts of the garden as well. A professional sculptor can create a rock garden that features your family’s monogram or rocks that have been carved to resemble your favorite animals. The rocks can be painted or tinted for an even more creative look, or you can plant vivid flowers, such as tulips and sunflowers, around the sculptures for a stunning contrast in color.
If you want to include a rock garden in your yard, be sure to meet with a professional who will help you complete the measurements for the garden and provide soil recommendations for the soil you should use to grow the plants you need to complete the garden. You can also get suggestions for the right types of rocks to use to complement your grass or other plants in the space and pointers for adding a water feature to the rock garden that will nurture the surrounding plants and make the entire outdoor area a space that you’ll love spending more time in.