Rocky Mountain Rock Gardens, Part I: Build Your Own

Your guide to planning, constructing, and planting an alpine oasis

Several years ago , we open a new rock-and-roll garden at the Gardens on Spring Creek , the botanic garden in Fort Collins where I serve as executive theater director . The beautiful piece de resistance animate my husband and me , along with many others , to add a careen garden to our personal landscapes . Here are the steps you may take to make that transformation bechance for yourself .

1. Identify the location and plant palette

We identified an empty niche in our backyard for our rock garden . It receive full sun throughout the year and provides optic interest in the length , inviting mass to take a closer look .

We wanted to use mostly alpine plants in our rock garden . These plants are typically low - rise . The rocks help make planting pockets that become microclimates of heat and body of water keeping . These plants do not wish the grave , Lucius DuBignon Clay soils we have on the front range , so we build up a berm to mime their preferred location .

2. Create the berm

Part of the reason we choose this particular turning point was that there was already a berm in this locating – albeit a extremely dysfunctional one that was too exorbitant and minute for anything to successfully turn on it . Mulch would simply wash off down the slope during each rainstorm .

Done correctly , a berm allows land to run out more speedily . Using power shovel and rake , we spread the soil out , which both lowered and branch out the existing shoulder . While we did n’t have to truck grime through the backyard , this was still quite a bit of work . We adjudicate to make a more constituent shape to fill up most of the corner .

3. Figure out how you will water the area

While we had drip mould irrigation in this region , I hand - watered the garden often in the first couple of twelvemonth . As it has maturate , it has need less body of water . Over the old age , we ’ve observe bush growing larger , some perennials dying out , and some perennial self - sowing . These change confirmed my option to hired man - piss . This unpredictable evolution would have made the dripping irrigation gainsay to shape around .

4. Decide whether you need to amend your soil

The soil in our shoulder appeared to have been brought onto the website . As it was n’t heavy cadaver , and rock garden plant do n’t love robust soil , we chose not to rectify . If in dubiety , do a soil psychometric test of the area . Scoria ( modest volcanic rock ‘n’ roll ) or sand can be summate to aid break dance up hard Lucius Clay if want .

5. Get your rock

We choose a beautiful rock from a local quarry called Cherokee . The colors of it really reflect the Mountain West . We selected each stone as we were looking for particular sizes to outline the beds and larger stones for the middle of the bed . We also had to make certain we could hook them into the hand truck and carry them across the yard !

6. Use the rock to define the space

We used most of the rocks to define the edge of the garden . First , we dig out a narrow trench and layered it with sand to help set and stabilize the rock . We immerse each stone to a astuteness of about one - third its size . We picked the nicest side of each stone to confront outward to utilize the many colors and textures of the stone . Next , we backfilled soil around the stones as we complete subdivision of the bed to anchor everything in billet .

7. And more rocks for aesthetic effect

We chose some larger stone and willy-nilly space them to add visual sake in the garden . In addition , we used some smaller stones to build shelf in some of the steeper parts of the garden to minimize overspill and erosion in these sphere until plants could build .

We also added a flagstone area . ( Yep , that intend more trips to the rock candy yard ! ) . This area allows us to maintain the garden easily without have to walk among the plants , which would compact the berm .

8. Add the plants!

last — the fun part ! I roll in the hay I desire four - time of year pursuit in this garden , so we started by add several dwarf conifers : pine tree ( Pinusspp . and cvs . , Zones 2–9 ) and spruce ( Piceaspp . and cvs . , Zones 2–8 ) . These were broadcast throughout the garden . I also added one section of small grasses and a dwarf yucca ( Yuccaspp . and cvs . , zona 4–11 ) to render contrasting textures .

We added perennials and lowly woody shrub next . Many of these are small plant life that pack a punch of gloss and thrive in the rough environment . Some of my dearie include :

9. Last but not least, mulch!

Once plant life were in , we mulch the garden with pea plant gravel . Another type of modest stone will do as well . We organize the colour of the pea crushed rock with the Cherokee stone . The alpine plants thrive on the warmth the gravel leave and the mineral it add to the territory . Like other mulches , pea plant crushed rock helps retain wet and cut down on weed .

Over the age , this garden has become one of my favorites , with its alone palette of plants . The raised berm is well-off to give care for , as less bending is required . I only water every twain of weeks if needed . The midget conifers and grass have slowly filled in . recurrent plants have moved around , died out , and been replace ; I ’m always trying something new .

For more information about rock music gardens , visit theNorth American Rock Garden Society ’s website . There are several local chapter throughout the Mountain West , and many of our public garden can provide rock garden inhalation and industrial plant melodic theme for our climate . And be trusted to readRocky Mountain Rock Gardens , Part II : Plant Picksfor even more flora recommendation for your rock garden .

— Michelle Provaznik is executive director of the Gardens on Spring Creek in Fort Collins , Colorado .

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