When you want to plant, scoop back your rocks and set to one side, and use a pot or something like a tarp to collect the 'diggings' and keep the area clean. When you've planted, watered and settled your new plant, remove the leftover soil, then replace the rocks/gravel.

And, yes, I do spend lots of time on my gardens! ;-) I would rather pull weeds and mix compost than to do just about anything else--except to play with my fish!! I have been trying to make it easier and less time consuming overall by making the broad gravel walkways and using bark mulch and installing drip/micro sprinkler systems, since our summers are so darned hot and dry.

Now if the @#$% chickens would just quit digging everything up!!!