If you’re wondering how to design a rock garden, you might think it’s going to be a long, difficult project.
The truth is, it’s only going to be a complex as you choose to make it and with the right planning, you can create a beautiful rock garden design.
What’s more, you don’t have to resign yourself to the idea this is a pure backyard landscape feature,
it also makes for a wonderful front yard improvement which increases your home’s curb appeal.
A great advantage to installing a rock garden is it’s simplicity compared to other, more detail orientated projects. For instance, you might have an urge to plant new species on your property, like bamboo or giant Salvinia. While these might look good in a landscape design, understand both are invasive species. In fact, there are a number of non-native, invasive species found in Florida that wreak havoc on private properties across the state.
Organic and natural materials should be anyone’s first choice when decorating the outdoors and having a rock garden should definitely be on your wish list this summer. Use rocks to transform your plain and boring backyard into a beautiful and relaxing oasis. Use their sculptural beauty to create eye-catching designs and try to make them look as natural as possible in the setting you’re providing. –homedit.com
Another advantage to a rock garden is this decorative feature is one that’s low maintenance. It does require much attention but it provides a lot of beauty. The best location for a rock garden is in an open area, where it can be expanded in the future. Moreover, you can select different plants to celebrate a season and because there are so many warm days in Sarasota, you won’t have to wring your hands over the right choices. So, let’s get to how to design a rock garden for your property:
- Choose an area and clear it. The first step to creating a rock garden is to choose a specific location and clear it so you have an empty slate on which to create. As stated above, it ought to be an open area as rock gardens typically meander widely. It’s part of their appeal and gives it a zen feel when you and guests visit it.
- Decide on a workable design. One of the biggest landscaping mistakes is to forgo thoughtful planning and just winging it on a concept seen on the web, in a magazine, or down the street. To avoid problems during and after the installation, choose a workable design. While this might not be an exciting part of the process, it’s one that’s absolutely necessary. You do not want to be part way or nearly finished when you realize there’s a big problem. Think about space, use, and where plants and rocks will be set.
- Select different sized stones for your rock garden. Although this is an obvious part of the design, it bears inclusion because it is so important. Select large boulders, medium boulders, small boulders, flat stones to use for a walkway, along with colored riverbed stones and flagstone to mix it up. Be careful with which you select as these can be too heavy for a single individual to handle on his or her own.
- Start setting the stones, beginning with the largest. With the area cleared and a design selected to work with, start building your rock garden by setting the largest boulders and stones first. Be sure to take some time to consider how the largest will be arranged because it’s very difficult to relocate these as they can easily weigh up to 500 pounds. Set stones according to size, from largest to smallest.
- Choose complementary plants for your rock garden. Become familiar with different plant species and which will not only thrive in the Sarasota climate, but also, will be complementary to the rock garden. Mix up colors and sizes so the final product doesn’t look mundane and boring. Remember, a key rule of landscaping is to avoid straight lines as non-linear shapes look and feel more natural.
- Create a rock garden riverbed and/or walkway, if desired. You can also opt to put-in a riverbed to allow water to flow through your rock garden, which gives it more charm. Another great additional feature is to lay a winding walkway around, inside, and to and from your rock garden. This not only adds a wonderful aesthetic, it has the benefit of creating a separate space to enjoy when in your yard.
If it’s time to refresh your landscape, contact us. We are a full-service, professional landscape design company and serve all of Sarasota, including near Bayfront Drive, around Rolling Green Golf Club, along Longboat Club Road, and elsewhere.
