Rock Gardens are a great way to spice up the average garden of flowers and plants. Rock shapes come in so many various forms from rough and sharp to smooth and round, giving you a wide variety of moods to create. That's what rocks do; they help establish a mood for your garden scene. Unlike what many garden "experts" will say, rocks are not mere ornaments for the garden that add a piece of strength or are a nice addition to water features.

I believe they have a living essence that needs to be focused on and appreciated. I want people to realize that rocks can be used in the garden design and not merely regarded as a wall to separate walkways etc. Here is a good example of a rock garden working with the plants surrounding it:

Rocks also come a variety of colors that allow you to color coordinate your scene. For example, it is fairly easy to arrange an orange-reddish New Mexico look with sandstone. What is difficult however is naturally blending this type of scene into and area that is far away from the Southwest area of the US. In the following picture you can see how a gardener is a making use of a very unique rock:

A point to keep in mind when designing your rock garden is that rocks have character. A rock garden is not a brick stoned path or mere stepping stones! When choosing your location a slightly elevated area with a slope would be a good choice for natural drainage.

Lava rocks have become somewhat popular lately, however if you have the extra money I would advise finding a rock that is either local to your area or has some interesting features you can use to accentuate your garden.

If you sketch out a rough idea of what type of garden you want and where some of your larger rock placements will be, this will help you choose the appropriate rocks either at your garden center, like Grand Island Serene Gardens or a local rock quarry. Take note, Japanese gardens have taken the rock garden to an art form. Look into Japanese rock gardens to get some insight into creating your own designs. A good nursery will have a variety of stones and people to help you with choosing and delivering. Don't forget that the delivery aspect of getting those rocks home with you. If you have an artistic hand or your own creative idea you have decided on then this makes the process easier. However, many people only have a vague idea of what they want, so at least bringing in a photo of the area you with to turn into a rock garden will be helpful for the garden designer.

It is a good idea to dig about 3 inches down and have a gravel or sand base to the garden. You can even mix in some broken ceramics to aid in drainage. This will give the larger rocks some stability. Start with laying the largest rocks first and then position the smaller ones after. You can mix topsoil and/or mulch in between the rocks; a darker soil really brings out the colors and definitions of the rocks. A moss or other type of low spreading plant would be a nice balance. This type of garden is a very low maintenance garden. If you wish to get your hands a little dirtier and add various colors each year you can also add in perennials and annuals native to your zone.

Rock gardens are a low maintenance way to add an air of sophistication and subtlety to your garden.

For more ideas for your rock garden check Grand island Serene Gardens for more about Japanese gardens and garden designs.