When we go for walks, I always admire the beautiful "flowerbeds" that we see in many yards. What I really like is the way the beds are done up, especially with the nice stone or concrete borders. What a neat look to the yard, but yet one that looks natural with the lawn and trees!
It makes me think that this is one of the new approaches to rock gardens. We're all familiar with the traditional rock gardens: stacks or terraces of stones, filled with soil, and planted with a variety of plants. When they are established and nicely filled in, they are a thing of beauty, aren't they!
But on a recent walk, I noticed that one gardener achieved the same effect with a more structured approach, using uniform, interlocking blocks to create the various tiers. And while it looked different from what we think of as a "rock garden", it was truly beautiful. I was browsing through a book called "Harrowsmith Gardener's Guide to Rock Gardens" , edited by Katharine Ferguson, and I think many of the principles of rock gardens are basic whether we are using the traditional approach or a new alternative.
The original aim of a rock garden was to imitate the vista on a mountain peak, where there was a variety of alpine plants. Over time, the rock garden evolved into spots where the rocks and other ornaments often became more important than the plants. I chuckled at a quote by an American botanist, L.H. Bailey, who said that "If one is making a collection of rocks, he is pursuing geology rather than gardening." So over the years, gardeners went from making plants the main thing to making rocks the main thing, and now we are somewhere in the middle. Chinese and Japanese gardens have influenced our thinking to make us realize that the right rock has the right place, but now with more plants than ever available to us, we can also expand the contents of our rock gardens into more than just alpine plants.
If you and I were going to make a rock garden, we would have to prepare the site: once we have chosen the shape we want our rock garden to be, we would have to clear away any sod, and definitely clear the area of weeds. If we were going to arrange rocks for the basic form, we would have to excavate the ground so that they are set in firmly. For those who are very ambitious, a layer of gravel at the bottom would help drainage. Once the bed is in place, then we can begin to fill in with more rocks and soil as we go along.
We have to keep in mind that we want the proper soil in our rock garden, nothing too heavy, and something that drains well. Depending on whether the site is in the sun or shade, we would choose appropriate plants. We would choose a variety of plants, of varying heights and textures: some that trail, some that have an upright growing habit. And from that point on, we would have to be diligent about watering, weeding, and pruning. So as you can see, the basics are the same whichever approach we take, traditional or new, no matter how big or small our rock garden might be!
The Saskatchewan Horticultural Association annual bus tour happens July 17-19 and visits various gardening points of interest in Saskatoon. You don't have the be a member of the SHA to enjoy this gardener's getaway, so if you'd like full details, please call Liz at 782-2830. And remember the Yorkton In Bloom Competition comes up at the end of July, not that far away!
So enjoy working in your yard, and with this heat, be sure to wear a hat!
