Rock gardens are modeled on nature and flora in the high mountains. Plants from almost all mountains on earth can be used for this, some of which are quite uncomplicated to care for, but some of which are also very demanding. However, with a little skill and the right soil preparation, the conditions necessary for successful care of mountain plants can be created without any problems.

Rock gardens are beautiful to look at and easy to maintain

Where do rock garden plants thrive best?

High mountain plants have to adapt to extremely adverse living conditions. In order to protect themselves from the harsh winds at high altitudes, for example, most plants have dwarfed or, like mountain avens (Dryas octopetala), developed into carpets lying flat on the ground or rocks. Other species such as the Swiss man's shield (Androsace helvetica) nestle in narrow crevices and form dense cushions in the smallest of spaces.

Which place in the garden is suitable for creating a rock garden?

Most rock garden plants feel very comfortable in a sunny south-east, south-east or south-west location, provided they are shaded at midday (e.g. through the clever positioning of large stones or trees). On the other hand, locations under larger trees or other shrubs are unsuitable, since the necessary sunlight is missing here and the plants, which are very sensitive to moisture and moisture, cannot dry off quickly enough after a downpour. But be careful: there are some rock garden plants that feel particularly comfortable in the shade. Many ferns fall into this category.

What should the rock garden look like?

There are incredibly diverse ways to create a rock garden. In order to create the necessary gradient, embankments (e.g. from the excavation of a garden pond or artificial stream) can be carried out and designed accordingly, or dry walls can be erected. A small trough garden, on the other hand, can even be set up where there is actually no space for a garden: for example on the balcony or terrace.

Ideas for different rock gardens

A natural rock garden is based on the high mountain landscape and looks as if you have placed a piece of the mountains in your own garden. A combination of a stream or pond with a rock garden is also very pretty to look at. The opposite of this natural one is the architectural rock garden, whereby the builder moves away from the natural model of a rocky landscape. Instead, in terms of design, the rock garden is shaped more in the form of a sculpture or something similar. This effect is achieved through the use of exposed concrete slabs or fragments thereof, roof tiles, basalt columns, etc. The so-called sunken garden, in which the plants are planted between one or more dry walls, is also very interesting to look at.

Which types of stone are suitable for the rock garden?

Limestone such as Jurassic limestone, shell limestone, nodular stones or calcareous tufa as well as typical silicate rocks such as granite, slate or lava rock are used in the rock garden. However, you cannot plant the different rock types as you please, as the majority of rock plants specialize in one of the two rock groups. Plants that flee lime, such as the prickly nut or the adonis plant, would inevitably perish if they were planted in limestone.

How to build your rock garden yourself

Before you can start piling up the stones and planting, you must first prepare the intended planting site. This includes not only plucking out existing weeds - especially root weeds such as thistles, bindweed, couch grass and goutweed - but digging them out. These weeds develop long roots from which they can grow back again and again and quickly get out of hand. Once the planting site has been prepared, dig out the ground and install drainage. Laying drainage pipes is particularly important in heavy clay soils to prevent waterlogging - after all, rock garden plants are used to dry subsoil and would quickly wither if waterlogged.

Here you will find instructions on how to build the rock garden underground yourself:

  • the bottom layer is a layer of gravel or crushed stone
  • inside is the drainage pipe (e.g. a Drain-Flex pipe with a diameter of 65 to 80 mm)
  • on top comes a layer of topsoil
  • and finally rock garden soil as the last layer
  • use this to arrange the stones at the end
  • Stepping stones make later maintenance work easier

When installing the stones, make sure that they are securely in place, i. H. no stone should wobble. If necessary, put some soil or grit under the stone at the wobbly edges.

Choosing the right rock garden soil

Above all, rock garden soil should have good drainage properties. Compost soil with its high nutrient content is unsuitable because the rock garden plants are used to poor soil and therefore only need small amounts of nutrients.

Suitable plants for the rock garden

The rock garden plants, which are suitable for our Central European climate, come from the high mountain regions of the northern and southern hemisphere, with the exception of Australia and Antarctica. The climates are surprisingly similar: They are characterized by strong winds, long winters and short summers.

cushion plants

To protect themselves from strong winds and excessive cold, cushion plants refrain from growing their shoots in length, so that their leaves lie directly on top of each other. Examples of suitable types are:

  • Catchfly (Silene acaulis)
  • Pair-leaved saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia)
  • Alyssum
  • Man Shield (Androsace)
  • Thrifts (Armeria)
  • Noble rue (Artemisia)
  • Andean cushion (Azorella trifurcata)

nest plants

Most perennials and almost all grasses have a clumpy growth habit, i. H. the new shoots that form year after year join the older shoots in a circle or grow in one direction. They form dense bushes. Types suitable for the rock garden are, for example, grasses such as

  • Foxy sedge (Carex buchananii)
  • Mountain sedge (Carex montana)
  • Blue fescue (Festuca cinerea)
  • Bearskin Grass (Festuca gauteri)

rubble settler

Rubble settlers are suitable for planting dry stone walls and the gaps between the stone slabs of paths and stairs, as they pull through the rock rubble with their long shoots. Typical representatives of this group are:

  • Dalmatian cranesbill (Geranium dalmaticum)
  • Bluebells (Campanula, various species)
  • Mountain avens (Dryas octopetala)

tips

If you want to cultivate mountain plants that are difficult to maintain, you can build an Alpine greenhouse. Plants that are only partially hardy in our latitudes can grow here. These include, for example, plants from the New Zealand Alps.

Category:

Garden design