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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