skip to main content

Alpines & Rock Gardens

best flowers and shrubs for a rock garden

16 years ago

Hello all,

Am in Romania and need some advice on what would be best/easiest to grow/hardiest plants (flowers and shrubs) for a rock garden. The soil is clay based - can be very sticky when wet and dry out to be rock hard - the weather is similar to northeastern Washington/northern Idaho (can get down to -10C in winter and +30C in the summer (rarely but does happen)) and the rock garden will be subject to an occasional soccer ball being kicked into it... We haven't got a lot of money (we are a Christian charity) but we are trying to create a nice space for our older people to hang out. Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (2)

bullthistle
16 years ago
Well according to my plant zone you could be in zones 6, 5 or 4. The cheapest way for you is to scrounge some plants from your neighbors and ask them if you could have a piece of this or that. Go to my website and you will learn how to propagate the pieces. Daylilies, German Bearded Iris, Columbine, Spring bulbs, should do well, but not with the soccer ball. Woody plants would be potentilla, juniper, euonymous, dwarf pines, but you cannot propagate those, they must be purchased. Better yet I went to the USDA's website and if you can pull up the common name, I couldn't, for Idaho, start at the coldest zone, that should be of help. Some you may recognize by botanical name.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/stateSearch?searchTxt=&searchType=Sciname&stateSelect=16&searchOrder=2&imageField.x=75&imageField.y=7

Here is a link that might be useful: Propagating Perennials
bullthistle
16 years ago
Thought this might be of interest!

http://www.thealpinegarden.com/

Here is a link that might be useful: Propagating Perennials

Related Stories

PLANTING IDEAS 5 Reasons to Bring Shrubs Into the Flower Garden

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Mix up the garden experience and let the flowers and shrubs play together

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Cold- and Heat-Tolerant Perennials and Shrubs for the Arid West

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

These flowering native plants shrug off the cold of winter and heat of summer while adding beauty to the drought-tolerant landscape

FALL GARDENING Great Design Plant: Rock Cotoneaster

By Annie Thornton

Adaptable and highly tolerant, this branching plant makes a terrific ground cover and cutting source

GARDENING GUIDES How to Prune Your Flowering Shrubs for the Best Blooms

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Less is often more when it comes to properly pruning flowering shrubs. Here’s what to do and why

FALL GARDENING 9 Deer-Resistant Flowering Shrubs to Plant This Fall

These exquisite shrubs will attract your attention but won’t tempt the deer that roam your neighborhood at night

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Drought-Tolerant Shrubs That Thrive in Full Sun and Reflected Heat

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Got a hot spot in your garden where plants often die? Try these tough shrubs that add beauty while shrugging off the heat

TREES How to Buy Healthy Trees and Shrubs

By Falon Mihalic

A healthy young plant with a strong form is more likely to do well in your yard. Here’s what to look for at the nursery

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 5 Berry-licious Shrubs to Plant Now for Winter Interest

Showy color during snow season? You bet. These shrubs will wake up a garden with colorful berries when other plants are asleep

SHRUBS 5 Glorious Late-Season Shrubs

Spilling over with berries or bursting with blooms, these stunning underused shrubs keep the garden party going through fall

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Fernbush

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

This rock-loving shrub's delicate honey-scented flowers attract butterflies, but its low water needs may be the real draw in summer

Sponsored