Narrow Rock Garden Layout

11 years ago

last modified: 11 years ago

Greetings experts and garden enthusiasts,

I'm working on a narrow rock garden project (space is approx. 5' at its widest point by 20' long—See photo attached). I'd love suggestions on how to layout the river rocks (medium to small sized boulders, 20 to 40 lbs) among soon-to-arrive floral ground cover (Improved Dragon's Blood Red Sedum) and four Juniper plants. Thank you to a Houzz member for suggesting the quarry for purchasing rocks!). I'm using low maintenance plants that thrive in partial shade with little water once established. Any ideas on how the rocks should be placed? Clumps, stacked, spaced apart? My plan is to move two rose bushes (now on the left in upper bed) to the opposite lower flower bed. I'll then turn over the existing dirt in the area, add top soil, the ten rocks and then plant the flowers around them. I do plan to keep my raised floral containers in the bed as well (the containers have helped to keep the gophers and moles away). Please share ways to lay this out that will look nice. I welcome photos, drawings and general suggestions. The attached photo has notes and is from last year.

Thanks as always!

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Comments (3)

tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
11 years ago
This is a slow forum. Have you asked this in the Landscape Design Forum?

Landscape Design

tj
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
11 years ago
Unless it is just the time of day that photo was taken, the area looks too shady for junipers to be happy. They are a full sun plant, 8+ hours.

The placement of the rocks is pretty much your choice, although you want the placement to look natural. Generally, I suggest clumping them in clusters as random, individual spacing looks too contrived. And they are best when at least 1/2-2/3 of their mass is below ground. Just setting them on the soil doesn't look natural or finished, like some giant scattered pebbles across the dirt.

This link may help. Pay attention to the section on scale. 20-40 lb rocks are not boulders and you may get a more aesthetically pleasing and natural effect by bringing in a couple of one-man rocks (80-100 lbs or more).
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Mike McGarvey
11 years ago
You picked a less than ideal place for a rock garden. When added up, these factors make it difficult, straight, long, narrow, and flat. It can be done. I've seen successful scree gardens on flat ground, but you're a long way from any natural scree, judging by your tropical Strelitzia. I think the shape and size of your beds call out for a more formal garden. The problem with a rock garden in the narrow constraints of straight lines is that a rock garden is not found in that way in nature. It's informal.
Do you have access to stone like your walls, or is that fake? In any case, it should match for obvious reasons.
You should also group rocks as large as possible for a better effect, even going as far as joining them together so as they appear to be large cracked rocks in a natural formation. Sedums can be planted in the cracks. For the most part, make the cracks as narrow as possible to achieve the one rock look.
grouped with other cracked rocks.
Most people put a few widely spaced rocks on top of the ground intersperssed

with a few plants and call it a rock garden. That doesn't cut it in my book.

Here's one of mine I'm reworking after 20 years. I just finished some heavy pruning and have to add some Sedums and a few plants on the left and a mulch. A path is on the right. I picked this picture because it shows a little bit of narrowness. Actually, it extends off to the right for quite a distance.

Mike...near Seattle