For rocks to look natural at least a third of it has to be buried, otherwise it looks like someone just plopped a rock there instead of it looking like it's been there for years and years. I know this can be hard when you're working with large boulders. Two summers ago when we were landscaping around the pond, we used some fairly large boulders. I'd dig a hole and DH would bring the rock around with the tractor. Sometimes I'd misjudge the size of the rock and the hole wasn't big enough, but I was able to sometimes dig around and get it placed well enough. By the end we had it down to a science. I'd find the "face" of the rock and determine which way it had to go, then DH would load the rock and then by dropping it in the field and manipulating it around, he would pick up the rock at the right angle so that he'd just wheel the tractor in straight and lower it in the hole. We usually only had one shot at getting it right the first time. But it all turned out well, and now that the plants are filling in and starting to flow over the rocks, it's looking much better.

Good luck with your rock garden.
Laurie

I think it was Pudge who built a really nice rock garden last year or the year before and posted before/during/after pics... maybe someone could find the thread? It does look awkward at first, but I couldn't believe how good it looked when the plants started coming in.

Part of the problem is that it's easy to end up with a bunch of rocks all the size you can carry... which suddenly look pretty small when get them in the garden. It can be costly and/or awkward to get nice boulders in if you don't have a tractor or truck & crane.

Another tip is to make sure all the stirations (sp?)(the lines in the rock) are all going the same way. It gives continuity and flow. You're working with two very different types of rock. If you want to use both I might try using the flat pieces near the bottom and the rounder ones up higher-though I think common advice would be to work with only one type of rock.

Kate

There was a thread going on my rock garden efforts year before last - link below. I had the same worries, Toots, about placing the rocks. The rocks show off most in spring and late fall - otherwise the plants pretty much take over but then I always tend to overplant.

Here is a link that might be useful: previous rock garden thread

Yes, I forgot about the striations in the rock should be horizontal. Also make sure to group the rocks in odd numbers, as that makes it more natural looking. Using different sizes of rocks is a good thing too. As well as using the same colour of rocks gives a more cohesive look to the entire grouping. We were lucky that we have 2 old rock piles within a half mile from where we live, so one fall we went out and brought back a ton or 2 of rock for landscaping. We ended up only using about half of them after weeding out the ones that didn't have the right colour or shape for what I wanted. You have to be picky!

Thank you so much...you've been lots of help.

That was a good thread on your rock Garden, Pudge...just beautiful. I never would have thought to mulch it with gravelly sand because I'm always cringing at my pale sandy soil in the perennial beds, but it looks great and its the look I'm kinda going for. The type of rock you used is pretty much what our river rock looks like...lots of different colors and textures but sort of angled and round at the same time. And I think i'll be adding semps and dianthus to the list! Thanks for sharing that thread, there was lots of general rock garden info in there.

Laurie, I think that's part of my problem...not digging them in. The effort really shows in Pudges pictures. I think the sand covering makes it look even more natural, too. Thanks for the tips.

Kate, good idea about the striations. This river rock seems to be quite varied, so keeping that in mind should help it look more the same. I don't think I'll use the flat sandstone with the river rock in the same bed, just thinking of my material options. I had thought of propping some up vertically, though. Just have to see how it looks...maybe some flatter river rock would look better than the sandstone.

Thanks again! Any more pictures? They are very helpful. I think I'll peruse the other forums...I forgot there was one on Alpines and rock gardens!

I went looking through my pictures and found this one of the side of the waterfall.

Pudge's garden is more alpine, where I guess mine is more Canadian Shield looking!lol I was really inspired when we went camping at Rushing River with all the rock there, and was really trying to go for that look around my pond. Actually the smaller smooth river rocks came from around the Cypress Hills, so it's kind of east meets west. :0)

And here's a pic of just a BIG stone we put in as a focal point in a bed.

There's quite a bit of this one buried. It's huge, about the size of a sofa, and it was all the poor old tractor and stone boat could do to move it the quarter mile it had to go. The inukshuk came from Kenora, down by the river, it was another cheap souvenir. ;^) We've been talking about taking our boys to see the Rockies one of these years, but I know DH is dreading how much of the Rockies I'll want to bring home with me!lol

Yes, do go through pictures in other forums too. That's what I did, and I spent a lot of time in the pond forum and the Japanese garden forum learning about rock placement. In the end you have to just do what looks right to you and once the plants come in it softens everything and gives it that wonderful look.

Laurie

Wow, that's really nice, Laurie. I don't recall seeing pictures of your pond/waterfall before. Love the Inukshuk - I want to put one somewhere in the yard, too.

Nice Laurie! Thanks for sharing those pics. I really like how you've used the different sizes. I think I definately need to get a few bigger specimens...like Gil said, by the time you set them down and then burry them part way they don't look as big as they felt carrying them!

Talking about your waterfall and the Rushing River reminded me of the idea of doing a dry stream bed with rock. Not this year but sometime I think that would be neat. I absolutely love looking for rocks down at the river! It would be a neat way of displaying them.

PS I think the inukshuk is great, too!

If I might add a couple more observations to this list of very usable advice:

--Rock striations don't have to be horizontal, but they do need to be uniform.
--Groupings of rocks should tend toward odd numbers as was said, but over #5 it probably won't matter.
--When digging in your rock, take into consideration how much mulch material will still need to be placed. Smaller rocks can be gobbled up before you know it.
--If you're good at it, and the rocks are right, several rocks placed together can look like one large rock that is cracked.
--Even a roundish rock can be broken, and replaced together (with space inbetween) to give the appearance of a larger rock.