Table of Contents
Instructions Build the First Course. Clear the area of grass or other organic material, if necessary. Add the Second Course. Plan the second course of stones. Select Plants for Your Rock Garden. Start your plant selection by choosing a color scheme that will work well with your stone. Plant Your Rock Garden.
How do you prepare the ground for a rock garden?
A good rock garden soil mixture consists of approximately equal parts good quality topsoil, fine pebbles or gravel and peat moss or leaf mold. You can add a small amount of compost or manure, but use organic materials sparingly. As a general rule, rich soil isn’t suitable for most rock garden plants.
How do you make a simple rock garden?
How to Build a Rock Garden Clear off a section of land. The first step to building your stone garden is to make some space for it within your lawn or yard. Plot Your Design. Choose Your Rocks and Lay Down the First Layer. Add in the Soil. Lay Down the Second Layer of Rocks. Planting the Plants.
What do you put under a rock garden?
Mulch is anything used to cover the landscape bed. Mulch can be shredded wood, pine needles, straw, sawdust, gravel, or river rock. Here in Nebraska and Iowa, hardwood mulch is most commonly used and readily available.
How do you build a rock garden for water drainage?
To construct a rock drainage ditch, it’s essential to plan a trench path that captures water and conducts it downhill. Then, dig your trench 18 inches deep (45 cm) and 36 inches wide (90 cm). Line the trench with landscape fabric, add 8–10 inches (20–25 cm) of gravel, and top the gravel with rocks or smooth stones.
Should I put landscape fabric under rocks?
Why should I use landscape fabric underneath rocks? Landscape fabric creates a barrier between the rocks and soil. When it comes time to remove the stones, you can quickly shovel them off the fabric instead of digging them out of the ground. The fabric also prevents weeds from cropping up between the small stones.
Does a rock garden need soil?
Rock garden plants need good drainage. My soil is clay with large chunks of flint. The soil has been well cultivated over a century but dig down 3 or 4 feet and you’ll hit clay.
How deep should a rock garden be?
The suggested depth of coverage varies according to the size of the individual stones. If the stone size is 1/2-inch or less, the suggested depth is 2-inches. Stones that are 3/4-inch to 1-inch should have a depth of about 3-inches. Stones that are 1-inch or larger should have a depth of 4-inches.
When should you plant a rock garden?
When to build a rock garden Autumn and winter are good times to construct features as there is less to do in the garden. Spring is the optimum season to plant since an extensive range of plants are available at this time.
How do you make large landscaping rocks?
Here’s how to get all the free materials you need to landscape your garden with rocks. 01 of 06. Visit Construction Sites. The Spruce / K. 02 of 06. Help a Farmer. The Spruce / K. 03 of 06. Talk to Road Construction Crews. 04 of 06. Go Rockhounding. 05 of 06. Curb Shop for It. 06 of 06. Shop Craigslist and Freecycle.
How do you keep weeds from growing through rocks?
How to Prevent Weeds From Growing Through Rocks Start With a Clean Slate. A weed-free patch of ground makes the best base for a rock-covered landscape area. Create a Barrier. A layer of landscape fabric over the soil blocks the growth of any weeds that you miss when you prepare the site. Use Your Muscle. Get Backup.
Should I put plastic under River rock?
The plastic is only recommended for small areas of rock, not for mulched beds, graded slopes or hillsides. If you have Oaks be wary of placing rocks beneath the trees as Oak leaves do not break down quickly and you will have to blow or vacuum the leaves from the rocks to keep them looking neat.
What can be used instead of landscape fabric?
Best Landscaping Fabric Alternatives Wood chips. Bark mulches. Pine needles. Shredded leaves. Grass clippings. Compost. Newspaper. Cardboard.
What size rock is best for drainage?
In general, you want to aim for ½ inch to 1-inch gravel for drainage. Areas that will see especially heavy flow may need larger gravel. Or, projects without drainage pipes may also need larger gravel. For example, a French drain without perforated pipe needs 1 ½ inch gravel.
How do you make rocks look like water?
Oil Solutions. Oil works very well for keeping rocks looking wet. Chemists love producing oil products because they can achieve some things that water and other environmentally friendly materials really cannot. For making rocks look wet, oil can produce a stunning, long-lasting end-product.
What to put under rock to prevent weeds?
Best Weed Barrier Under Rocks Choose landscape fabric or black plastic as the underlayments. Because water passes through the landscape fabric under your rocks, holes in it need to be only large enough to fit around the bushes’ trunks.
Which is better landscape fabric or plastic?
Landscape plastic tends to be less permeable than landscape fabrics, preventing the loss of moisture and exchange of gasses with the environment. In an annual vegetable or flower garden, this is often an admirable trait — plastic mulches smother weeds and warm the soil much faster than landscape fabric.
How do you maintain a rock garden?
How to Maintain Your Rock Garden Remove debris: Get rid of those pesky, windblown leaves using a rake. Weeding: Weeds can uproot rocks or stones and cause tripping hazards. Smoothen the gravel: Uneven gravel is an eyesore so make sure you even it out without hurting your plants.
How do I calculate how much rock I need?
Length in feet x Width in feet x Depth in feet (inches divided by 12). Take the total and divide by 21.6 (the amount of cubic feet in a ton). The final figure will be the estimated amount of tons required.
