How to build a garden rockery for beginners: The ultimate guide

Garden rockeries offer a multitude of benefits for modern gardens. Not only can they look amazing, but they also offer a low-maintenance option that can still offer a warm welcome to garden wildlife. If you are not too hot on construction techniques or feel lacking in hard landscaping skills, the prospect of creating your own rock garden can seem daunting. Fortunately, building a rockery is not difficult at all, especially when you follow the pointers in our ultimate guide.

Start planning

Before even thinking about getting your hands dirty, plan how you want your rockery to look. Think about its location and the type of plants and rockery stones you want to use. Remember that many rockery plants prefer a sunny environment and so steer clear of shady areas.

Use a computer program to create your rockery plans, or go back to basics and get the square paper out. Draw your plans to scale and consider things such as maintenance and budget, as well as the aesthetics of your design and other sensory aspects, such as texture and smell.

Look for rockery stone suppliers near me

Decorative Gardens can deliver the stones and rocks you need wherever you happen to live. Now, you need to decide on the rocks and stones you want to use.

It is generally accepted that you should stick to one type of stone for your whole design, but make sure that the individual pieces you use come in different sizes. When you buy rockery stone, you should also think about how the ones you choose will go with the rocks and stones that are staying in your garden. You want your new rockery to enhance existing features and not jar against them.

If you need inspiration when making your decision about rockery stones, browse our online collection. If you are thinking about a traditional look, you may want to consider the likes of Highland Grey, Welsh Slate, Rustic Slate, Red Lake or Rustic Slate Rockery. If you want a more modern or dramatic effect, there are also plenty of options, including Arctic White Boulder, Plum Slate Rockery, and Precious Jade & Meteor Storm Rockery.

VIEW OUR ROCKERY STONE

Prepare your site

Once you have decided where you want your rockery to be, you need to prepare the site. First and foremost, you need to get rid of any weeds. This is important as they can outcompete any delicate alpine plants you may choose, as well as destabilising rockwork. If you really want to make sure that weeds won’t be a problem, weed thoroughly and then leave for a period of six months before creating your rockery.

Once your ground is weed-free, cover it with a layer of rubble. This will have a stabilising effect, supporting your rocks and improving drainage. You may then want to consider using a weed control fabric to lower the need for future weed-pulling. This offers a long-term, low maintenance solution and it is easy enough to cut holes in the fabric where you want to grow plants you want to thrive.

Start building

When you are ready to build, start with your biggest rockery stones or rocks and build to a peak. Think of the way a mountain rises from the ground. You can stabilise larger rocks with smaller rockery stone. Set your stones using a layer of topsoil. You may want to consider using a bagged version of this as this will be the easiest way to guarantee a weed-free start.

The larger rocks will create a firm foundation when stabilised with the soil, and then you can build up the shape. Remember to place your rocks and stones facing in different directions, as this will help to create future micro-climates and make interesting planting pockets. Layer with your topsoil as you progress. It can be useful to arrange your smallest rocks in a horseshoe shape at the top as this can be the best way to create pockets for your plants.

Make compost

If you are going to grow alpine plants, you need good compost. This should be made up of equal amounts of weed-free topsoil, horticultural grit and leaf mould. Shop-bought coir can also substitute for the leaf mould. Use this compost to fill your planting pockets.

Add your plants

Spring is the ideal time to add your plants, as this will give them a good amount of time to settle in before winter hits. The positioning of your plants will depend on what species you choose and their particular needs, In general, however, in English gardens, plants that like cooler conditions can face north, whilst sun-loving species should be planted facing south.

Place your plants carefully in your planting pockets and firm compost over the roots. Finish off with a handful of gravel or grit. This will improve drainage, as well as minimising the possibility of future week attacks.