Creating a Rock Garden

Transcription

1 Utah State University All Archived Publications Archived USU Extension Publications Creating a Rock Garden Gwendolyn Nelson Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: Part of the Plant Sciences Commons Warning: The information in this series may be obsolete. It is presented here for historical purposes only. For the most up to date information please visit The Utah State University Cooperative Extension Office Recommended Citation Nelson, Gwendolyn, "Creating a Rock Garden" (2007). All Archived Publications. Paper This Presentation is brought to you for free and open access by the Archived USU Extension Publications at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Archived Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact dylan.burns@usu.edu.

2 CREATING A ROCK GARDEN Gwendolyn Nelson USU Advanced Master Gardener

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4 Rock gardens may be traced back to ancient China and the hanging gardens of Babylon

5 A steep bank planted in phlox, aubriela and alyssum may be called a rock garden but dedicated rock gardeners would call it a rockery

6 A steep bank becomes a true rock garden when its soil is modified to host a range of plants that would otherwise not grow there.

7 Rocks may be few and provide a strong contrast to plants and a cool run for their roots

8 They may be the dominant element of the landscape, set in a naturalistic strata with a few small flowers and dwarf conifers

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11 Rock gardens can be expansive or as small as a few square feet. They use space in complex ways with rock placement and steep slopes.

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14 Rocks and slopes, paired With different soil mixture, create an infinite number of micro-climates

15 A phenomenal number of plants can live in a compact rock garden. True rock gardens are approached with a great deal of patience. The garden mellows with the years, plants and rocks become more harmonious.

16 Most individuals think of a raised bed studded with stones, compact shrubs and perennials as a rock garden.

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19 People who identify themselves as rock gardeners define the term rock garden more elaborately

20 A rock garden is a specialized habitat created to enable the gardener to grow a wide range of plants that demand particular soil and drainage conditions

21 ROCK GARDEN STYLE, DESIGN AND AESTHETICS Mother nature is the best teacher and provides rock gardeners with a world of pleasing examples

22 In creating your own garden decide on a selection of various materials rocks, boulders, gravel should suit your site

23 Construction of a rock garden with quarried stratified rocks

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29 Rock gardens imply some artistic arrangement, but rock gardens grow and evolve as gardeners acquire a larger plant collection

30 PATHS AND HARDSCAPING

31 A rock garden is the least transitory type of garden. It may be there long after your house has been abandoned or replaced

32 An important consideration is access to the garden - the path visitors will walk to see the garden

33 Paths should be planned into the design of the garden they are not an afterthought

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35 Paths in a naturalistic setting should be lower in grade excavated below surrounding terrain

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38 Paths should be linear leading the eye onward

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40 Water features are also a natural addition to the hardscape to be constructed during the initial phase of garden design and construction. They add considerably more cost to the project.

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49 SOILS

50 Soils can be as simple or complex as you like. Rock fragments are usually the main constituent of a rock garden.

51 For greater rewards tailor your soil choices to your planting preferences and climate Rock particles (2 parts ¼ of smaller) Organic material (1 part compost) Loam (1 part sandy river loam)

52 Lean soils or scree consist predominantly of rock particles

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54 CHOICE OF SITE

55 Type of garden you construct will largely be a factor of the site location: Scale should fit with the home/property Exposure to sunlight Proper drainage Provision for water features Ease of access for bulky heavy material and equipment

56 Have a plan before construction Save time Save money

57 TYPES OF ROCK GARDENS

58 FLAT GARDENS A flat garden is usually built around or within a patio or sitting area

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64 BERMS Raising rock gardens above flat ground Improves privacy Adds interest Emphasize the height of screening trees or shrubs Create paths

65 BERMS (continued) Gives more planting space than flat surface Many choice plants grow better on alpine slopes Provides better drainage Offers more than one kind of exposure to the sun

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71 MORAINE AND SCREE GARDENS

72 Scree is the lean gravely soil that many alpine plants prefer

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74 Moraine garden is a scree garden with a steady supply of underground moisture. It simulates the underground flow from melting snow in mountain glaciers.

75 Flow of water in a natural moraine

76 Schematic drawing of an artificial moraine

77 Moraine This garden emulates the debris left after a glacier recedes

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80 CREVICE GARDEN

81 Crevice garden is a type of rock garden where most of the surface is composed of closely set stones

82 Designed more for plants favorable to high alpine zones

83 PLANTED WALLS & FORMAL RAISED BEDS

84 In the wild, some plants seem to grow right from solid rock, trailing down boulders, flowering on cliff faces

85 Desire to create this kind of garden is for those who want to grow highly specialized plants

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93 Walls can also be used to support free standing elevated beds

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95 FOR THE ROCK GARDEN PURIST

96 Rock gardens are like a child s sandbox full of toys. In a limited space one can play with plants from varied habitats and regions.

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100 Collectors can amass hundreds of species in a typical city yard Delicate European alpines Tough native plants New discoveries from far-away mountain ranges

101 Rock gardens plants are slow growing you may want to plant some more common varieties which are quicker growing to give color and size early on

102 As the garden matures you can replace the plants with rarer species

103 BASIC ROCK GARDEN PRINCIPLES

104 Rock gardens should be open and uncluttered as possible. Size and placement of rocks should be bold and generous.

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108 Rocks should be significant rather than numerous. Should appear settled harmonious in color and texture.

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112 Avoid overplanting. You can obscure the rock framework and sacrifice individual character of plants.

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114 Don t forget accent plants distinctive in color, texture and form

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116 Start with plants easier to cultivate, those more hardy, friendly. As experience grows move to more challenging plants.

117 Basket of Gold

118 Soapwort

119 Sage

120 Phlox

121 Phlox and Blue Fescue

122 Bleeding Hearts

123 Find out as much as possible about kind of plants before buying and planting Height Spread Likely life span

124 Sargents Weeping Hemlock

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126 Avoid plants that can become weedy or problems in years ahead Grape hyacinth Common bellflower (campanula rapunculoides)

127 Minimize or avoid altogether synthetic materials i.e. concrete, brick, anything plastic

128 Be selective in plants. Put nothing in your garden simply because you have it. Avoid studding rock garden with distracting labels.

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130 CONCLUSION Many seasoned gardeners have turned to rock gardening because in some ways - it represents the pinnacle of horticultural endeavor, where scientific manipulation of the garden and artistic expression become one

131 PLANTS FOR THE ROCK GARDEN

132 Dwarf Conifers Some examples of most common slow growing conifers suitable for rock gardens.

133 Dwarf Balsam Fir Abies balsamea nana 2 ½ high 20 wide in about 30 years

134 Dwarf Weeping Cedar of Lebanon Cedrus libani Sargentii before branches start to weep

135 Dwarf Hinoki Cypress Chamaecyparis obtusa nana At 30 years plant is high, wide.

136 Dwarf common juniper Juniperus communis compressa Columnar shrub 3 in 30 years

137 Dwarf weeping Norway spruce Picea abies 'inversa Rounded mound about 3 tall

138 Bird's-nest spruce Picea abies nidiformis At 20 years about 20 high-twice as wide

139 Dwarf Alberta spruce Picea glauca conica At 20 years 4 high 2 wide

140 Shrubs Suitable for Rock Gardens All of the following thrive in well drained soil in full sun or partial shade

141 Creeping Barberry Berberis wilsoniae Brilliant scarlet in autumn

142 Heather Calluna vulgaris Likes acidic soil

143 Creeping cotoneaster Cotoneaster adpressus In the fall displays bright red fruit and scarlet leaves

144 Prostrate broom Cytisus decumbens Green twigs that suggest a small broom-bright yellow flowers in late spring

145 Shrubby cinquefoil Potentilla fruticosa Flowering in late spring. Flowers range from yellow-orange to white and even red.

146 PLANTS FOR ROCK GARDENS Some uncommon plants are rare and more unusual. Not found in most nurseries but are available in the Salt Lake valley.

147 New Zealand Burr Acaena saccaticupula Blue Haze Full shade-evergreen groundcover

148 Star of Persia Allium christophii Enormous 10 flower globes terrific accent plant

149 Plume Flower Astible chinensis Pumila Lavender pink plumes

150 Carpathian Bellflower Campanula carpatica Blue Chips Covered with upward facing sky-blue flowers June - October

151 Pinks Dianthus Bouquet Purple Blooms all season lavender pink flower

152 Scotts Spleenwort Asplenium ebenoides Dwarf fern adaptable to alkaline soils

153 Edelweiss Leontopodium alpinum Alpine plant from Swiss Alps

154 Bitterroot Lewisia Constant Comment Fuscia pink blossoms in spring

155 Pincushion Flower Scabiosa caucasica Fama Intense lavender-blue flowers all summer

156 Campion Silene caryophylloides From Turkish mountains in limestone scree. Large pink-magenta flowers