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Whether your home is situated on rocky terrain or
you just want to try your hand at rock gardening,
getting plants to thrive requires a few basic considerations. Because of the relatively shallow pockets of soil, water drains away very quickly, for better or worse. The most exposed and shallow places are excellent sites for planting drought-tolerant creeping or trailing plants, especially where they can cascade over a ledge. Many of these perennials are beautiful bloomers so you can have mounds of color throughout your rock garden. On the other hand, plants that like a little more moisture will be happy at the base of a stone ‘all or terrace, where water will not drain or evaporate so quiddy. Perennials that like lean, rather than fertile, soil are the best choices for this type of gardening, unless you wish to add amendments to certain planting areas. The plants suggested on this plan are sun-lovers, so if your rocky site is in a woodland or other shady area, you can find suggestions for substitutes in the Selection Guide. Since every rock garden is a unique setting, the design offered here can be adapted to your particular site. Plant one of each variety for a small space, or fill in with more if the area is larger.
Helpful hints
- Plant some of the lower, creeping perennials such as Ajuga, lberis, Delosperma, and Sedum into the nooks and crannies between rocks.
- Delosperma planted on ledges, or in between larger stones,will
quickly grow to cascade down rocky slopes and over boulders.
- By substituting Santolina with Artemisia stelleriana ‘Silver Brocade,’ this garden could be a Zone 5 collection.
- Stabilize rocky slopes with large boulders placed with at least one-third of their mass below ground level.
a. Ajuga ‘Catlin’s Gaiant’
b. Aquilegia ‘Selection’
c. Campanula ‘Joan Elliott’
d. Cireopsus ‘Moonbeam’
e. Delosperma cooperi
f. Euphorbia polychrome
g. Gaura ‘Corrie’s Gold’
h. Iberis ‘purity’
i. Knautia macedonica
j. Oenothera missourienesis
k. Pennistum ‘Little Bunny’
l. Phlox ‘Emerald Blue’
m. Santolina cham. var. nana.
n. Scabiosa ‘Butterfly Blue
o. Sedum ‘Tricolor’
p. Veronica ‘red fox’
33 Garden Designs for your home:
Shady Oasis
Gaining Ground
Front Door Enterance Design
Coastal Perennial Garden Design
White Flower Garden Design
Grass Garden Design
Pastel Flower Garden Design
Rose & Perennial Garden Design
Bright Colorful Garden Design
Perennial Corner Garden Design
Butterfly Hummingbird Design
Silver & Blue Garden Design
Bog Garden Design
Pink Flowers Garden Design
All Year Flower Garden Design
Privacy Matter
Woodland Border
Hosta Shade Garden Design
Rock Garden Design
Cold Hardy Perennial Garden Design
English Garden Border Garden Design
Driveway Sidewalk Garden Design
Prairie Garden Design
Flower Garden Design
Entry Shade Garden Design
Hot & Humid Garden Design
Flowering Fiesta
Red White Blue Garden Design
Late Season Garden Design
Southwest Dry Garden Design
Garden for Children
Butterfly Garden Design
Hummingbird Garden Design
Shady Solutions
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