Authored by Jaipi Sixbear in Gardening
Published on 11-29-2009
A DIY rock garden is a low maintenance way to accent your landscaping. Designing and building a DIY rock garden can save you time and money when caring for your yard. There are numerous ways to utilize a rock garden as part of a low maintenance landscaping project. It can be a focal point or cover the entire lawn. Use these ideas as inspiration to design your own DIY rock garden.
Slope Steps
A DIY rock garden can turn a slippery slope into a lovely step garden. Simply use large rocks to brace and shape the soil into steps. Add clustering, clinging, heavily rooted plants to help hold in the soil. Accent the DIY rock garden with a few colorful accent plants and some smaller, more interesting rocks. Keep it low maintenance by using plants that require less water.
Break Up the Lawn
Scatter a multitude of small DIY rock gardens around the yard. Breaking up the grass means less mowing. This low maintenance DIY idea saves the weekend and gives you time for relaxation. Conventional lawns use a great amount of water. That makes your DIY rock garden an eco friendly project as well.
Borders
Why use fencing or ugly plastic lawn borders to surround patios and vegetable gardens? Use a DIY rock garden as a border instead. Border the patio with tall interesting rocks. Make another rock border parallel to the first but just a few inches apart. Fill the center of the two borders with potting soil. Use the soil area to plant things like icicle plant that use less water but spill over the top for a pretty display.
Spillways
Water runoff can create ugly muddy gullies on the lawn. Why not create a rock pathway for the water to follow instead? Use it to divert rainwater from the lawn or toward plants that require a bit more water. Instead of using just one type of rock, use a flat base rock bed. Then scatter different or unusual rocks and pretty marbles around for a more eye pleasing DIY rock garden spillway.
Centerpieces
There are certain items that make wonderful centerpieces and focal points for a DIY rock garden. Gazing balls are placed on pedestals to create a distorted reflection of surrounding nature. Bird baths make beautiful and functional centerpieces for your DIY rock garden. Another great idea is a portable outdoor fountain.
Water Features
An outdoor fountain isn’t the only water feature you can add to your DIY rock garden. Home and garden centers sell kits for every kind of water feature imaginable. Create ponds, rivers and streams running through your DIY rock garden. Add a cute little bridge over a stream or keep some fish and plants in your pond.
Potted Plants
Suppose potted plants work better for you? Maybe you would like the DIY rock garden to be portable. Maybe you would like to change it from year to year without a lot of digging. The solution for you is the use of potted plants. Potted plants can be moved around periodically or from season to season. They can be stored indoors in winter months then brought back out for summer.
Planting a DIY garden should be kept simple and low maintenance. Build steps and spillways for water control. Scatter small rock gardens around the yard to cut down on mowing time. Use centerpieces and water features to jazz things up a bit. Potted plants will keep your DIY rock garden versatile and seasonally practical.
