Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Rock Ideas in My Hosta Gardens

I mentioned in an earlier post how I like to use river rock to add drama to my hosta gardens. My rock ideas are a hit with my friends as they look over my hosta gardens. I hope to be able to express in this blog some of my rock ideas that I utilize in my hosta gardens.

First of all, for gardeners like me who don't have an abundance of time during the week, rock gardens or the addition of rocks in your gardens are extremely popular for a few reasons.

One reason is because Rock gardens are generally pretty easy to create. You can use natural rocks and/or stones you find on your property, or you can purchase them from landscaping supplier stores. There are many types of rocks to choose from. I am using river rock from my land to maintain the natural look to my garden.

In addition, rock gardens or the addition of rocks in your gardens provide the, "Natural" look that a lot of people enjoy. If you are not a plant lover and want a low maintenance landscape design, rocks and stones may be just what you are looking for.

Brainstorm Rock Ideas

What look are you trying to add to your landscape or gardens? Before you begin building your rock gardens, you will need to do some planning for the rock ideas that you want to implement.

The most important detail is to estimate the number of rocks that you will need.
Prepare the Rock Garden Site

Once you are ready to act on your rock ideas, the first thing to do is to prepare the site. This involves digging up any existing foliage and grading the ground. Remember, if you have small children, you will want the rocks to be extremely stable when they lay on the ground.

Now place your rocks according to your rock ideas plan. There are many options based on your aesthetic preference. I am a fan of making a border, or ring, to separate my hostas from the surrounding hostas.

It is extremely important that you place your rocks in your garden before you add plants to your rock garden, especially when working with larger rocks that require large equipment to move the rocks.
Add Plants to the Rock Garden

Once you have deployed your rock ideas, lay out your plants approximately where you want to plant them. Refer to the spacing instructions on the tags. Once you have arranged the plants where you want them, start digging!

I have a lot of rock ideas that I plan to utilize in my hosta gardens. Out of all of the rock ideas that I have brainstormed, the one that I currently like best is placing my larger rocks next to my larger leaf hosta's. By placing my larger rocks next to my larger hostas, the leaves of the hosta are able to cascade over a corner of the rock, softening the contrast. I would also suggest planting a smaller hosta in front of the rock. If you have a small rock, try placing a single small hosta beside and slightly behind it for a similar effect.

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