Advice On Making A New Rockery

[pattricia 575]

I’m making a new rockery from scratch.Ive got all the stones in place but don’t know what kind of soil to put round the stones ,before planting my rockery plants. Do I just use other soil from my garden or buy a sack of stuff from B & Q or a garden centre ?  What should I buy ?

[pattricia 575]

Got my rockery in place with soil over the stones, so now Im going to buy some Perrenial rockery plants called Phlox but can I plant them now in time for next year or will they be killed off over the Winter ?

[DUFFEMS 56]

Hi Patricia,

I would suggest mixing some alpine grit with your normal garden soil or you could use garden centre compost but, you can use your existing soil.

Drainage is important for a rockery, use grit, pebbles and garden soil, you don't necessarily need rich soil.

The best plants in a rockery are alpines, heathers, aubretia, with the odd small conifer for a bit of height, phlox  mainly planted in Spring but, alpines can be planted in the Autumn.

Remember to provide good drainage hence the grit, rock plants don't like to sit in water.

Don't be too neat and tidy with the planting, ad hoc looks best with a rockery and, once they start establishing you can separate them and plug empty holes.

Also put some grit around the plants, it helps drainage so that the leaves don't sit in water.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Duffems

Edited October 18, 2020 by DUFFEMS

[pattricia 575]

16 hours ago, DUFFEMS said:

Hi Patricia,

I would suggest mixing some alpine grit with your normal garden soil or you could use garden centre compost but, you can use your existing soil.

Drainage is important for a rockery, use grit, pebbles and garden soil, you don't necessarily need rich soil.

The best plants in a rockery are alpines, heathers, aubretia, with the odd small conifer for a bit of height, phlox  mainly planted in Spring but, alpines can be planted in the Autumn.

Remember to provide good drainage hence the grit, rock plants don't like to sit in water.

Don't be too neat and tidy with the planting, ad hoc looks best with a rockery and, once they start establishing you can separate them and plug empty holes.

Also put some grit around the plants, it helps drainage so that the leaves don't sit in water.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Duffems

Thank you DUFFEMS, this is of enormous help to me. Just checking with you on another point DUFFEMS. I am going to order some phlox perennials for my new rockery. Shall I wait until the Spring or put them in now. ? 

Edited October 19, 2020 by pattricia

[Thorpist 72]

Alpines have no bother with cold but absolutely hate damp, is it possible to put the plants in terracotta pots in amongst the rocks then put some nice shingle around them .

when the damp weather  comes put the pots in a sheltered position for the winter.

[pattricia 575]

Another question about my new rockery. Although I have put topsoil on the rockery stones, there still isn’t enough. If I swept up all my fallen leaves and put them in a polythene sack for a couple of months would this make a nice mulch for my rockery ?

 

[pattricia 575]

I like perennial low growing phlox. When can I plant this for the first time in my rockery.?

[spider1 11]

17 hours ago, pattricia said:

I like perennial low growing phlox. When can I plant this for the first time in my rockery.?

My advice get a skip throw it in you never stop weeding it you want back ache  youll get it /    

[pattricia 575]

2 hours ago, spider1 said:

My advice get a skip throw it in you never stop weeding it you want back ache  youll get it /    

Thanks. Could do with a bit of exercise!

Can I put used tea bags on ?

[Janus 28]

4 hours ago, pattricia said:

Thanks. Could do with a bit of exercise!

Can I put used tea bags on ?

I tear the tea bags open and let the tea leaves fall  in to a small bucket in kitchen, and discard the bag because many tea bags contain plastic and they don`t seem to break down. 

[pattricia 575]

19 minutes ago, Janus said:

I tear the tea bags open and let the tea leaves fall  in to a small bucket in kitchen, and discard the bag because many tea bags contain plastic and they don`t seem to break down. 

Thank you for your reply Janus.

[Janus 28]

You are very welcome. Hope your most recent aquisition of Hydrangeas are standing up to the frosts we have been having. 

 

They are hardy enough, but I got some Hydrangea  plugs at the back end of the season. I 'edged my bets' by putting half of them in the garage by a window.  All ok from the frost thus far🖒