How to Landscape Plants for Rock Beds

Creating a rock bed is an interesting way to landscape a difficult area of your yard. Sloping areas lend themselves well to rock gardens, but a flat place can work too. You may already have rocks available from your yard; if not, you can find them at a landscaping shop. Use rocks of different shapes and sizes. Native plants and stones work well. Choose plants that spread, mound and are tall for variety. Limit the number of different kinds of plants; instead, repeat the same plant in several places in your garden. This repetition adds rhythm to the eye and keeps the garden from becoming a hodgepodge.

Shovel
Soil amendments (compost, soil mix, fertilizer)
Plants (three to five kinds, with at least three of each kind)

Instructions

- 1
  Dig a shallow hole for each rock so that it appears to naturally "grow" out of the ground. You may also want to mound some rocks together with soil between them.
- 2
  Decide where you would like to put the plant material, being mindful of creating rhythm across the breadth of the area by repeating a plant type several times. Place some plants next to the rocks and some in between. It is important to appear random in the spacing to keep a natural look. If your plants are in pots, place the pots in the arrangement you have chosen and check the spacing to make sure you like it. Keep in mind that the plants will grow.
- 3
  Dig holes twice as wide and a few inches deeper than your plants. Mix in the soil amendments with the soil you dug.
- 4
  Plant the plants. Keep the soil level the same as it was growing in the pot. Backfill the hole around the plant. Tamp lightly.
- 5
  Place some low creeping plants in the dirt between the rock mounds. These will add visual appeal and appear to anchor the rocks to the garden.
- 6
  Water well. Continue to water frequently until plants are established.

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