How to Build Flower Beds Using Large Boulders

Draw a rough draft or blueprint of the flower bed that shows the placement of the boulders. Scale the rocks to the landscape to create a well-balanced design. Get ideas for your design from gardening books and magazines as well as nearby landscaping projects that use boulders. Planning your design first will help you avoid moving the rocks more than necessary during construction of the beds.

Sketch features in your design such as utility lines or drainage ditches. You will need to take special care not to damage these features when placing the boulders.

Remove all debris from the site, including sticks, weeds and smaller rocks that aren't part of your landscape design. Rake the cleared-out space and tamp it down for a compacted and level planting site.

Raise the soil level of the flower bed, since boulders will sink over time. As an alternative to raising the soil level, bury the bottom half of the boulders when you are placing them around the flower bed.

Install landscape edging between the flower bed and where you will be placing the boulders. This will prevent the boulders from shifting into the flower bed or the surrounding lawn. Dig down into the soil and create a trench for the landscape border. Place the landscape border in the trench and secure it in place with a rubber mallet.

Cover the space where the boulders will be placed with landscape cloth. Do not lay landscape cloth over spaces where you intend to plant flowers.

Lay the boulders over the landscape cloth. Adjust their position until you have the desired look around the flower bed. Rent a Bobcat or loader to help place those extra-large boulders.