Landscaping with rocks? It’s a no-brainer, living in Tennessee. When the shallow well was dug on our property, a huge boulder was struck sixteen feet underground. The heavy-duty excavator tilted forward, raising the back of the machine slightly off the ground, (eek!) as it strained, pulling and lifting the heavy rock out of the deep hole. No surprise discovering that the massive boulder measured seven feet wide.
Landscape Feature Rock
With the heavy-duty machinery on site, we asked the operator, our friend, Jonathan to do a little landscaping prep for us. In other words, he moved the boulder to an ideal viewing spot along the driveway. Yes!
Decorating Both Sides
I transplanted Irises (Tennessee’s state flower), we’ve had for several years, behind the boulder. (As pictured above.) The Irises bloomed nicely in their new, full sun location, and are thriving.
Moving around to the front of the boulder, we placed a concrete urn, filled with soil and sun loving, colorful Lantana flowers in the center.
Building a Rock Garden
One rock calls for more. Like when you buy a diamond ring, you add a pair of diamond earrings or a necklace to your ensemble, right? That’s the logic I applied to the boulder. Why not go with the theme and establish a rock garden in front of the boulder?
Fortunately, we didn’t need to purchase diamonds, uh, I mean rocks, as the creek bed and shore on our property is full of, you guessed it, rocks. They call it Rocky Top Tennessee for good reason. Hauling buckets of rocks isn’t glamorous, like wearing diamonds, but I love repurposing things, especially when the only cost involved is labor. Lowell and I tackled this together as we often do, making this shared project less tedious.
Here’s the basic steps to establish your own rock garden.
1. Weed whack the grass growing in front of the boulder or rock feature.
2. Place landscaping fabric down to block out the sun and prevent weed growth.
3. Cover the entire surface of the black, landscape fabric with a layer of tiny, gravel size or smaller rocks.
4. Add more rocks, small but a little larger, varying in size and shape to add texture and interest. (If you don’t have access to creek rocks, you can replicate this project with bags of rock purchased from a garden and lawn center.)
Ideal Flowers for Rock Gardens
Not wanting to obstruct the view of the stunning boulder, the feature of our landscape project, we looked for low-growing, ground cover flowers to plant. Flowers add bursts of color and interest to the monochromatic backdrop of rocks. Many flowers that spread like vines, and blooming ground covers make ideal plantings for rock gardens. Select drought-tolerant plants that thrive in poor soil.
Hardy, low growing plants for your rock garden-
- Portulaca (I planted pink and yellow portulaca, pictured above.)
- Creeping Thyme
- Creeping Phlox
- Sedum
- Ice Plant
- Hens and Chicks, a succulent
- Dianthus
Rock Garden Flower Planting How-to
Space plants apart on rock where they will have room to spread as they grow. When ready to plant, remove as little rock as possible and cut through the landscape fabric. Once planted, cover any exposed ground with tiny rocks to thwart weed growth. Then water according to nursery instructions.
Another Rock Feature – no flowers, no fuss
(These native rocks, pictured above, were dug out of the ground too.)
On the opposite side of the driveway, we have a second, landscape rock feature. This trio grouping of rocks was stacked in such a unique and interesting way that I decided to leave it bare of climbing plants. All it needs is regular tidying of the grass surrounding it with a weed-eater.
Have I inspired you to add a rock feature or plant a floral, rock garden? If so, share with others. You don’t have to be in Tennessee to landscape with rocks.
By Deborah S. Tukua, author and freelance writer
https://www.deborahstukua.com