Clinton News-Record, 1979-04-26, Page 50•Carefully plan rock garden
By Burke McNeill
Extension
Horticulturist, OMAF
Many gardeners have visions
of a beautiful rock garden as soon
as they see a slope or a terraced
situation. Their visions are
usually very realistic, but here
realism often stops. They do not
take into account the work
required to develop and maintain
the site. Nothing looks worse than
a poorly planned and poorly
maintained rock garden.
Site selection is the most im-
portant decision to make once
you have decided to plant a rock
garden. Well -drained locations
are a necessity. If drainage is
poor, a gravel and stone base
should be provided.
Rock gardens should also blend
with the surrounding terrain. For
instance, a mound of stone and
earth in the middle of a flat front
yard is not a good choice of
location. It will always look like a
mound of dirt. Blend your rock
garden into the surroundings, so
it will look like a natural part of
the overall scene.
Most plant material used in
rock gardens comes from
mountains, and this is the type of
a scene that gardeners are trying
to imitate in their yards. When
planning your rock garden, try to
picture how this would look in
natural surroundings.
There are many "do's" and
"don'ts" in rock garden con-
struction. For detailed advice
consult the Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture and Food
publication, "Rock Gardens",
(publication No. 38). This free
publication is available from
local agricultural offices, or by
writing to the Information
Branch, Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture and Food,
Legislative Buildings, Toronto,
Ontario, M7A 1A5.
There are also many fine
reference hooks on the subject,
available in soft cover editirs at
your local book stores and
libraries. English gardeners
have developed rock gardening
into a fine art, and publications
from that country are par-
ticularly informative.
Practically any low -growing
plant material can he used in a
rockery. Both deciduous and
evergreen shrubs, and many
hundred of herbaceous peren-
nials, can be used effectively.
Unfortunately, rock gardening is
a very specialized form of gar-
dening, and enthusiasts must
look far and wide for many of the
choice plants, such as dryas,
dracocephalium, erigeron, and
helianthemum. However, the
backbone of any rockery is the
moss phloxs, sedums, houseleeks
(Hens and Chickens), candy -tuft,
perennial alyssum, and thymes.
These are readily available at
most garden centers.
Soil testing
How fertile is your garden soil?
Garden soil samples can be
analysed at the University of
Guelph. Visit local offices of the
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture
and Food for details.
Page 21
A well-designed rock garden blends into the surroun-
dings, so it looks like a natural part of the landscape.
(Photo by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food)