Preparing for a rock garden

Prepare For A Rock Garden

A rock garden would be the perfect solution for you to save money and time. If you are tired of watering, mowing and fertilizing an area then to have a rock garden would be the perfect solution. It looks nice and is not that complicated to build. Truly, it is a different look for any garden. In other words, if you like to be different then this is it for you. But, before you jump into the tasks of creating a rock garden for you, you have to be prepared first. You have to know and learn the right steps to take to build a rock garden for your home. Here are the tips on how you can properly prepare for your rock garden.


You will need:

  1. Different sizes and colors of rocks
  2. Paper
  3. Black sheeting material or surface killer
  4. Spikes (optional)
  5. Rake
  6. Shovel

Steps:

  1. First, you have to plan on the place and to what extent you want the rock garden to be. Determine the size, colors and sizes of your rocks. You can check the prices from landscaping, local gravel yards and building supply shops to make comparison for the best deal that you can get for your rock garden project. Remember to look at single bags of rock for prices as well when shopping for all sources.
  2. Then, make your desired design of rock garden on paper or on the computer. Determine the shape for your rock garden. Leave an overhang of 2 inches of rock so that the plastic sheeting is completely covered at the edges. You can design the type of rocks that you would like to have for your garden; their colors and size. If you have no clue on how you want your rock garden to be then feel free to do some research online so as to basically get some ideas on how you can make your rock garden.
  3. To prepare the area, you can either use a surface killer or laying black sheeting material directly over the existing grassy places. If you choose black sheeting materials, the surface will be uneven until the grass dies beneath the plastic tarps.
  4. You can pick the rock supply by yourself or have it delivered to your home before beginning to spread the rocks following the design that you made. Cover the black sheeting completely with at least 2 inches of rock material. Spikes are optional for securing the black sheeting. You can use them for the final touches and then remove them. For the dispersing process, use a shovel at first then use the wrong side of a hard rake to level out the rock surface.

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

Rock Garden Plants: A Color Encyclopedia

Rock Garden Design and Construction