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.

A Big Hosta Garden Thank You!

In recent post I have called the hosta plant the, "Friendly plant!" This has proven to be true over and over again. As a result of my zest to share my knowledge and beauty with you, my hosta garden has turned in to multiple hosta gardens thanks to the generous donors of this wonderful friendly plant known as the hosta.

Thank you Carl, in Wadworth ,who wanted me to come and look at his hosta garden to offer tips and ideas. He also wanted me to split a few of his hostas in his hosta garden to add to my hosta garden.

• There is Jenny who didn't share the same passion as me in growing her hosta garden, so she called me to come and take her large hostas from her hosta garden.


• Mary in Rittman loved her hosta gardens, but she wanted to share her shade loving plants with me so that I could expereince the same joy and serenity of the green that she experiences.


• Lynn in Medina had beautiful hosta gardens and other perennial gardens, but wanted me to take a few from one specific garden because the deer were eating her plants.


• Kathy in Norton said, "Come and get them" as a result of her overgrown beds of hostas.

Although I have collected the friendly plant by the truckloads, I still have many uses for each and every plant. If you have an abundance of plants and are willing to share, please do so.

Here are some other great ideas to think about when planting or dividing your hostas:

• Border/Edging planting - Use hostas that are 12 inches in height or less but have increased horizontal growth to soften the edge.
• Background planting - Large green hostas will show off more colorful plants.
• Specimen planting - Unique hostas are allowed to grow into large clumps.
• Ground cover planting - Hostas that are fast growers and form a thick mat of roots will cover the ground and prevent weed growth.
• Highlight planting - Yellow and mostly white hostas can be a natural brightener for shady gardens or dark corners.
• Container gardens - Miniature hostas create an entire scene in one pot, or add your favorite hosta to your annual summer container.

Thank you to all for sharing your passion for hostas with me. It is my hope to be able to continue to offer tips and ideas on how you can produce a beautiful hosta garden that will be the envy of all who visit your gardens.

MY RIVER ROCK GARDEN ADDITION

My kingdom possesses many natural resources for me to utilize. I mentioned the abundance of Christmas Ferns in an earlier post that I have found throughout my kingdom. Another abundance that I have at my dirty fingertips is river rock. When most people see a rock, they actually see a rock. When I see a rock or lots of rocks, I see a bench, a path, and a garden; a river rock garden.

It is my goal when creating my hosta gardens to create a landscape that is both interesting and unique. In trying to differentiate from other gardens I have utilized river rock to do just that. My river rock gardens have proven to be both interesting and unique. By utilizing some simple river rock garden rules and unique ideas, I have created several river rock gardens that have provided drama within my quiet hosta gardens.

When I began my river rock garden, I selectively chose a few huge boulders that I wanted to use as the focal point in my garden. In addition to the large boulders, I also searched and scoured the river for rocks with a natural interest like an irregular shape, color or texture.

I also added drama in my river rock gardens by adding a walkway of flat stones which ended up at the focal point of my hosta gardens. The winding river rock path takes you to various places and focal points of both my hosta gardens and river rock gardens. Remember, to keep your walking paths smooth and as level as possible to create a safe grounds. I found play sand worked well as an inexpensive method to help level my paths. I am extremely proud of the river rock bench that I put together in my river rock garden. By utilizing some simple principles and unique ideas I have created a look that has turned my kingdom gardens into a great family photo spot.