Rocking the Garden

Originally Posted – September 15, 2020

Rocks are a nice landscape feature that can add contrast to your plants and the soil. I like the look of the garden with local rocks (rocks originating from the surrounding area) and have added them into the garden over the past year. And while rocks can be added any time you happen upon them, I think Fall is a great time for rock addition. For one, when it is cold, you can hunt for them with less risk of encountering snakes or spiders. Secondly, you can add them in the garden when your plants are still visible, allowing for better placement. Finally, it give you a project to work on during this time of year.

There really is no magic to placement.  I have placed them directly on the soil after sweeping back the mulch.

Digging them down into the soil gives the appearance that they were already there.

Rocks can also have functional purposes.  I have added these to provide a step when filling the bird bath.

And these were added to the hill area to allow for easier weeding (although it looks like I need to do some weeding). And here, these flat rocks serve as a place to put potted plants. You will note the fine gravel around the rocks. I found it is better to dig out the soil and use gravel fines for easier placement and weed control.

Adding large rocks can help to reduce the amount of weeding.  I added these rocks in a spot that was more of a hassle to work in terms of planting versus weeding (It is more stable than it looks.)

The rocks in our area are primarily sandstone, which can be pretty heavy.  I use a hand truck for moving them from the car to the placement location.  It is a good idea to wash them, or at least brush them off, before placement int the garden.  Soils on the rocks can carry seeds from weeds.

I get many of my rocks from a dry-fill site close to the house.  It is exciting to find that certain rock that not only fits the site or application, but also has some character.