Isn't is a lovely plant? Love Baptisia australis. There's a dwarf version "v. minor" that fits most people's rock gardens. I chose the full size version because that bed is some 35' long. RJ

Here is a link that might be useful: B. australis

Yes, I imported the rocks for my garden. I had the rock delivered from a quarry about 25 miles away. The delivery charge was $100 and the 12 tons were $150. Not bad, and I got the rock I wanted because I went to the quarry and picked it out. It's called basalt.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pics of my garden

I'm so envious-- i wish we had a quarry around here. I paid 10x that much for two pallets of blue stone slabs.

Honestly BoTann, your garden looks like its straight from a Kinkaid painting! Gorgeous!

I am working on a project that's not exactly a rock garden, but does have a lot of stone features. Most of the stone is not natural (pavers and belgian block) but I have a small retaining wall made of natural Shenandoah bluestone river rock that I hauled from my property in the mountains.

Photos:
{{gwi:371011}}
{{gwi:371013}}
{{gwi:371014}}

Hey PeteT, stone walls are beautiful places to put rock garden plants. You can put a lot of choice things between the rocks if you dry stack them rather than using mortar. RJ

safariofthemind: Both of my walls are dry stacked. Any recommendations on what to plant in the gaps? I tried creeping phlox last summer, but it didn't survive the dry weather.

In our area people use a mixture of humus/ground bark/top soil and put some water crystals, just a pinch, then ram the mix into the cracks and either blow seeds in there or plant things like sedum, small daffodil bulbs, phlox stolonifera. Depending on how much sun you have you can also plant small salvias, verbena, penstemon, veronica peduncularis 'Georgia Blue', small aquilegias, delosperma cooperi, sempervivums, rock cress. I'd even try a miniature rose.

If you have shade then maybe someone else can chime in as I'm relative new to woodland wildflowers and my beds are raised beds only. I'd probably try mosses, small ferns, chrysogonum, phlox, heuchera, scilla, hiacinthoides, iris cristata, and so on.

RJ

Here is my mini-rock garden. Pics are taken at night, so it is not as clear as I want. There are some mighty pretty little hens & chicks in that rusty old rim thing I found by the side of the road. Orange and Pink Lewisia cotyledon and Purple Rock Cress (Aubrieta deltoidia) are in the upright hexagonal pipes.

Wendy

Here is a link that might be useful: small but sweet (I like it)

Very cute. Goes to show a few well chosen containers can give one a very satisfying garden Wendy. Good job and be sure to check out the link below for great sempervivum containers. RJ

Here is a link that might be useful: Container gardens

I have a big shell, I can do the shell...petite and neat. And that's the most interesting use of a wine rack that I have ever seen.

I'm not sure if you are still looking, but this is a planted wall I made out of tumbled bluestone, about 5 years ago, and by now, campanulas, coydalis, and a few others have seeded into this wall. My project for this fall is a planted terrace and another bigger wall in sun, also out of tumbled bluestone.

{{gwi:371016}}

Making things out of stone has been one of the most thoroughly satisfying aspects of gardenmaking I have done, in 20 years of making gardens. Even though I broke 1 finger doing it.

Nice wall. What is it made of and how did you put it together? RJ

Great pics everybody! I've finally decided on a rock/succulent garden for a round berm I'm going to create. It will include ordinary things that grow well in my area -- sedums, hens&chicks, creeping phlox and similar creepers, some short grasses, who knows what else. And rocks of course. I love visiting these forums for inspiration.

MeMyselfAndI , I am so glad you posted this, and I will have to come back to enjoy more of the replys. ocbirds albumn took a wonderful amount of time. Now to give you idea: I love getting a stone, or rock everytime we go for a ride, and right now, I have a small rectangle area filled with most of my rocks. Have Pennyroyal, Rosemary, chives, and something that grows in the wild, which has overflowed this year. I put in a fountain, and would have parsley, but the rabbitts got that..... I also have a tropical tree type plant near the fountain, which has to come in in cold weather. I started my rock collection with just a small circle of rocks around my birdfeeder years ago. As the collection grew, my rock garden came to be. When we moved, my son and his wife inherited most of my rocks, and I brought my favorate smaller ones, and started all over again here in Tn. We put my rocks whereever my little heart desires at the time. Some along driveway, near Mailbox, a few in cornor of back yard where I have my reading bench, and bird=bath. sorry no pictures, but thought you may find that just taking the plunge, and starting in a spot that you would enjoy, you don't have to spend a lot to just start placing your rocks in a space and go from there. I find myself sometimes rearranging, but mostly enjoying my spot year round.

Everyone has such wonderful and beautiful ideas! It's a great treat to hear about (and sometimes see) all of these beautiful rock gardens!

I agree. Love to see some more pictures as well. Especially of how they look in winter. RJ

My rocks are not much - but I've added some little helpers today and here's a picture of them.

Here is a link that might be useful: garden boys

That's just so cute! Love it...

Thanks,enjoyed seeing and learning from all of you. The terraces were established when we came here in 1986. We have added the steps, picnic area, and additional gardens connected by switchback paths. EP

Here is a link that might be useful: our garden

Hi, a few more ideas, thank you for sharing.

Here is a link that might be useful: rock garden

BoTann--

I've seen your garden when you first posted, but looking again...

Wow.

That's amazing.

I'd kill to have that look, but in zone 4, in dry mountains, on just half an acre... can't do it. *g* But I have an urge for blue conifers and more Japanese maple all of a sudden!

Wow! nagamaki, what plant is that featured on image033?

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:371015}}

Hi, its common name is Mexican Shell Flower. It's a type of daylily hardy to zone 7.

Ciao

Pardon me, the Mexican Shell flowers are hardy to zone 8. For colder zones the bulbs can be stored for the winter.

Thanks for the info, I'm going to try and get it this year, it's beautiful!

Hi All!!!

Just browsing on a Sunday and wasn't going to say anything...but I just have to!!!
All your pictures are just breath taking.
OCbird...I could just picture myself with a good book and a shirley temple, LOL, sitting on your fountain patio!!!
And BoTann - your sedum in the hibachi sent lights off in my
head!!! That Croc is really a dilly...

I spent most of two hours in your gardens today and really enjoyed being swept off my feet!!!

Jackie Collins couldn't print my daydreams this aft...

Thanks!!!

Here are my garden pics.

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Pictures

Beautiful garden, awesome stone path!

Can anyone recommend some plants for me to add to the top of my flower hill so that the clay soil doesn't collapse? I added a ton of flowers to it last year as well as two staircases and a small terrace. The terrace has slipped a little bit, and since that part of our yard gets runoff from three houses I am worried that the whole hill might collapse. I planted two forsythias at the top edge yesterday, but still worried about the whole thing sliding away. I'm turning the top into flower mesa...

Thanks for any advice!

Cannot speak from experience, however the highway dept. typically uses 'crown-vetch' for just such an application in our area.

ciao

I used a lot of rock in my garden. I edged all the beds with rocks and made paths with them, edged the pond with them and used them as decoration and stepping stones in the gardens.

Inukshuks are cool in gardens too.

Here you can see the pond edge and part of a flower bed edge:
http://24.78.74.8/artbysheryl/gardening/garden14.htm

At the bottom of this page are more pics of edging and bogs edged with rocks: http://24.78.74.8/artbysheryl/gardening/garden13.htm

I used them to shore up small slopes too. There's a pic on this page and also part of a path:
http://24.78.74.8/artbysheryl/gardening/garden19.htm

I made the paths by using digging the entire rock into the soil with the flatest side up and levelling it with the others around it. Fitting them together is kinda like doing a jigsaw puzzle, but more fun. Then planted creeping thyme between them.

You can do so much with big rocks. I want to make a ruined stone wall corner and cover it with vines.

I continue to be blown away by people's ideas for rocks in their gardens. Wow!

I may move mine, but for now, I've put some in a bed next to my driveway. Honestly, they're so big and heavy, that's about as far as they got after I rolled them out of my van. (I had the movers put them in the van for me when my Mom moved. Hahaha!) It's a much more interesting spot now, though.

I've used softball-sized rocks to edge an area around my deck. The medium (bigger than softballs, but not so big that I can't pick them up) rocks are in several piles throughout a large bed in my back yard. They were most welcome this winter, as they were about the only things to look at. They also proved to be excellent points of reference this spring, when I just had to walk around and scout for foliage spouts, but wasn't sure where I should or should not step. I had only put a couple of them on bulbs. Ooops - hahaha!

Sheryl, I was unable to connect to your links. Will try again soon, your description intrigues me.

Jugglerguy, not on topic, but I love your picture of the "stoplight tomatoes!" Funny!

I'd never thought of using other-than-flagstone-type rocks for a path. Great ideas, Jugglerguy & Sheryl!

I don't have image of my latest rock-garden, yet, but some of my older ones are in my 'Garden' album. We have two local limestone quarries, plus water carved limestone can be found now and again around the neighborhood (complete with fossilized coral)
I've also been making 'mini-rock-gardens' with the featherrock and Mexican pot rock--more pix to come soon.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Gardens and More

Mitzy, I just LOVE your gardens! And I especially like the rock planters. They look so cool!

I just finished a tufa garden, well, still doing some planting and finishing touches. If you go to the link listed, it should show some pictures of the front yard before (with all the flowers and trellis) and after (the one of me standing next to all the rocks, exhausted!)
Caroline

Here is a link that might be useful: Rock Garden

thank you very one for sharing their garden pics, i am very impressed. i think i need more lands, my current property does't alow me to do much. good luck to ya'll, tuan

tuanh, your photos are beautiful and I love your containers. I am trying similar things. Also love your greenhouse. Enjoyed all the photos. EP

I'm new to this forum and have enjoyed seeing the different things everyone has done using stone. We are working on an area right now which we are calling the "rock garden". Don't have pictures yet but thought you might enjoy seeing all the stones we put into our two ponds with adjoining stream. The rock garden will be at beginning of small pond. We have lived at our mountaintop property just over one year so have much to do. Will be happy when it has all grown as much as those shown here.

Here is a link that might be useful: backyard pond

Raney10, nice photos. We are currently working on rocking along a stream. Interesting to see similar work. EP

BoTann, OMG, your conifers and gardens are incredibly stunning! Have you published? Last winter I checked out all the conifer books our extensive library system had to offer, and all your pics compete with the best of the best. How long have you been working on these gardens? Are you a grower, you must be in the profession some how -but I love your artistic eye. OK I am done gushing. ~Thia

I am still going through Bo Tann,s pictures. I am new to this forum and it will take me awhile to see everyones pictures but I am looking forward to it.

Here are a few of mine.
{{gwi:371017}}

{{gwi:371018}}

{{gwi:371020}}

{{gwi:371021}}
~Thia

To BoTann,
your garden is one of the most beautiful gardens I have seen! I love the picture of 'spring morning'. I love the colors you put together and the crocodile is way cool! Thank you for sharing your pictures, they are inspiring!
-Feather

Im going to get some pictures onto a website so you guys can see them. Hopefully ill have them for show by friday.

You guys just wait...

Thankyou FeatherAnn. As you can tell, I've been at it a long time. It sure has been enjoyable. This winter things are going to be moved around quite alot. The weather here near Seattle is really good in the winter to do this. Things are not frozen solid and there is plenty of moisture after our relatively dry summer. I will be expanding the garden by a lot. The trees I started from seed and cuttings are big enough now to go in their permanent place.

I keep coming back to this thread for inspiration. Thanks!

Hey, it's me, the person who started this thread, also coming back for another read... I live in AL now, and there are NO ROCKS! This is refreshing :+)

Hi purpleinopp!
I'm still here too.
Here's my latest attempt at a rock garden. I placed the rocks by hand a few years ago and now I'm ready to put a few plants in. The stream goes dry in the summer. Hopefully I can use some restraint in choosing and placing the plants so as not to hide the rocks. I tried to put them so they appear natural, not dropped from the sky as so often seen.

{{gwi:371022}}
Mike

This is such an old thread!

Botann, it looks like you have done a very good job with the rocks. Please share photos when you have the plants in.

Xuan

botann, love your new-ish dry stream, totally agree with Xuan. Looked through your new pic album and also love the orchids in the pots. And the pieris. Stunning! Your view is amazing. The phone booth is hilarious. Do you ever get the urge to change clothes real quick in there?

Is that lawson cypress growing on its' side of its' own volition, or is that an experiment of yours? Same question for the camperdown elm?

Your property looks like a park. Excellent!!

The Lawson Cypress had a rootbound rootball when I bought it. I didn't cut the encircling roots like I should have. It tipped over repeatedly so I left it on it's side as an example of what happens when you plant a rootbound conifer. If it was in a location with more light, it would make a nice short hedge. The picture shows the backside.
The Camperdown Elm grows the way it is pictured. I prune out the interior branches every few months.

Thanks for the compliments purpleinopp.
Mike