Of course, a rock garden can also be designed on a flat surface. Much more interesting - and also more lifelike - is the planting of a slope or an embankment. If you don't have one in your garden, you can artificially fill it up and create a rock garden in a variety of ways. Large embankments (which, for example, replace the fence or hedge and can be wonderfully used to hide excavated earth, for example from house construction) can be planted particularly nicely with large cushion plants such as goose cress, cushion phlox and alyssum.
A slope is ideal for a rock garden
Hillside location is ideal for rock gardens
Many rock garden plants come from the mountains. There it is naturally not flat and level, but sloping and rocky. Ergo, you create ideal living conditions for your mountain plants if you recreate the natural conditions. However, not every slope is suitable for designing as a rock garden, as most species require a sunny, south-facing location. Some plants also feel comfortable in a partially shaded location, but these should be selected accordingly.
Optimal: the combination of stone and water
A slope is ideal for integrating a small stream into the rock garden. This can even be equipped with mini waterfalls and finally flow into a pond. For a watercourse you need pumps that are operated either with a mains connection (then a power connection must be made) or via a solar module. However, the latter are not suitable if a powerful waterfall is to be installed. Special pond liner is suitable for sealing the water surface, which is covered with a layer of fleece to protect it from damage by the stones.
place stones correctly
Particular care must be taken when setting and planting stones on a hillside. First of all, such a structure creates different microclimate zones, which the skilled gardener knows how to use for himself. In this way, plants with different needs can be planted in one and the same rock garden.
Planting site for moisture-sensitive plants
Some plants, for example, are very sensitive to moisture and should be protected from rain. To do this, you can let a stone protrude a few centimeters forward over a vertical gap. The resulting roof protects the plant from direct rain.
Planting place for heat-sensitive plants
On the other hand, a south-facing stone protruding laterally protects heat-sensitive plants such as spring saxifrage from too strong a midday sun.
Planting space for cushion plants
Mountain avens, globe flowers and other carpet-forming cushion plants thrive particularly well on flat stones or a suitably designed, level slope over which they can spread unhindered.
Caution: moisture!
The amount of water available on a slope also varies greatly depending on the placement of the stones. When planting, remember that steep rocks direct more water to the roots than flat rocks - and therefore drought-loving plants should not necessarily be planted directly under one. Even within a crevice, there can be very different humidity levels: while it is dry at the top, it becomes more and more humid towards the bottom.
tips
It is best to start planting while you are piling up the boulders: inserting the sensitive root balls later is very time-consuming. This applies in particular to shrubs.