Monthly Archives: July 2021

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    Inspiration for a classic English rockery

    Recent years have seen a revival of rockeries, with gardeners short on weeding and maintenance time looking for sustainable options to keep their outside spaces looking good. A classic English rockery can become a low-maintenance, beautiful garden feature, whilst also offering the perfect environment to welcome garden wildlife.

    Look back to history

    Rockeries first started becoming popular in England back in the 18th century as part of the garden landscape movement of the time. Designs then went on to be influenced by explorers in Victorian times, who bought alpine plants into the UK. This led to the creation of some outlandish projects in England, such as Sir Frank Crisp’s mini-Matterhorn at Friar Park in Henley-on-Thames, complete with its own tin mountain goats.

    Your classic English rockery may not end up being quite so quirky, but this sort of eccentricity does give you an idea of how much imagination can be bought into play if you want to create your own take

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    Can you build a rockery against a fence? The experts answer your questions

    Rockeries can be a beautiful addition to any garden. They add vibrancy, structure and interest. If you have a special interest in alpine plants, a rockery can be a specialist environment perfect for this type of plant.

    If you have been thinking about building your own rockery, you might be asking questions like:

    How big does my garden have to be to build a rockery?
    Can I build a rockery against a fence?
    What materials do I need?

    If you are confused about how exactly to build the perfect rockery for your garden, read on to have all your questions answered.

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    Searching for rocks for sale? What to look out for

    When embarking upon an exciting new project for your garden, planning is essential. If you are looking to create a rockery garden, the positioning of the rocks, the type and size of rock should be selected carefully to avoid disappointment. Here are some tips to get started as well as a look at some of our best rocks for sale at Decorative Gardens:

    When to begin?

    The most suitable time to create a rock garden feature using landscaping rocks is the colder months, whilst spring is the most fruitful time of year to create a rockery designed for plant growth when the weather is getting warmer.

    Purpose

    Rock gardens can be created for numerous purposes, and defining yours in advance will help you choose the correct size, shape and colour. For instance, you may wish to create a rock border around your lawn, flowers or shrubbery; you may wish to create a rockery garden as a feature in itself; or you may want to create a rock border around a water feature or pond.

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    The best ways to build a rockery wall

    A rockery wall can form a major part of your rockery design for aesthetic purposes or play a more practical part in your hard landscaping design. It can be a functional essential in your outside space, whilst still adding a lot of personality in the process.

    The prospect of building a rockery wall can seem daunting at first, but fear not! Following this guide and choosing the right stone will make sure that the build is as simple and easy as possible. It will also ensure that your rockery wall delivers the practical or aesthetic functions you want and will guarantee that you can enjoy all that it is has to offer for years to come.

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    What plants are best for a rockery? Our guide

    A rockery is an attractive addition to any garden, adding an interesting and intriguing focal point. Beautiful natural rocks can be interspersed with plants and flowers to create a wonderful garden that will evolve and flourish throughout the seasons. Rockeries can be positioned practically anywhere in your garden and can be as large or small as you’d like, so they’re a great project for gardeners of all abilities.

    Once you’ve decided you’d like to create a rock garden, you need to choose your rocks and think about which plants you’d like to include.

    Not every plant will be ideal for planting in a rock garden. You’ll need plants that respond well to surrounding rocks and that are easy to maintain. You’ll also want to choose plants and flowers that fit in with the style you’re looking to create, such as traditional or contemporary. You should also consider colour schemes, picking plants and flowers that will blend or contrast with your garden depending on the effect you want

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    Ten rockery ideas for small gardens

    When rockeries first arrived in Britain, they were confined to grand gardens, where space was never an issue. This is far from the case these days, however. In fact, rockeries are perfect for smaller spaces, offering a low-maintenance option that can still attract wildlife. They can also be extremely budget-friendly to create, especially when you forgo those usual ‘rockery stone suppliers near me’ searches and make use of the fast nationwide delivery offered by Decorative Gardens instead.

    There are countless ideas to choose from when it comes to creating a compact rock garden, but here is some inspiration to get your thoughts growing as fast as your plants will do.