Suggestions for rocky terrain landscaping

14 years ago

Will be moving permanently into my Canyon Lake home in June and would like suggestions on what to plant on an uneven, rocky terrain.

Featured Answer

wantonamara Z8 CenTex

14 years ago

Build rock terraces using the lay of the land as your guide. One can collect rocks off your land or bring in new rock. build up and bring in good dirt. I garden with mostly norther mexican, texas natives, desert plants and Mediterranean. I have left my place with the rythm of the hill country. I moved out here because I love how the hill country looks so I have left the hillcountry in my yard. I live not far from hamilton pool and the pedernales River. Very rocky. I started with the dirt under the trees where there is some goodish dirt to start my garden and have been working outwards to where the sun shines with its blistering intensity and there is really bad dirt... I have been slowly working out as I improve my soil. Every spring I bring in several yards and break in another area. Some areas, I improve very little or I bring in course decomposed granit and peagravel to grow cactus. Are you from the are or are you moving here from another type of environment Like wet temporate forest.

I suggest you get a good book on gardening with Texas natives. It will keep you from being wed to your irrigation system. We want canyon lake in the lake, not being sprayed on your yard.

Plants that like uneven rocky soil: Flame acanthus Agastache, agave, apache plume,asclepias asperula,desert marigold,Caesalpinia gillesi,Chilopsis linearis, coreopsis wrightii, Callirhoe involcrata, Calylophus berlandieri Dalea aurea, lavender, dykia, Echeania texensis, echinacea augustifolia, Hesperaloe,ipomopsis rubra, heterotheca vilosa, Turkscap, Gulf coast Muhly, wheeping muhly, lindheimers muhly, Alamo vine, Blackfoot daisy Maurandya barklayana, Manfreda maculata, Nolina lindheireii, californian poppy, salvia chiquita, salvia darcyi,salvia coccinea,salvia gregii, Salvia chioniphylla, salvia englemani,salvia farenacia,Salvia penstemonoides, Salvia regla, salvi roemeriana,, scutelaria wrightii, sophora affinis, sophora segunda, desert mallow(Spharalcea ambigua), stipa tenuissima, Tecoma stans, vitex tree, Yucca, Many more.

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Comments (6)

seamommy
14 years ago
Creeping phlox loves a rocky bed and forms a soft, mounded mass of greenery that blooms in Spring. I was just looking at pots of it at Lowes this afternoon and was soooooo tempted to buy some, even though I have no place to put it.

A tough Texas native plant that is really a pretty little thing is butter and egg. It has little yellow and white flowers that bloom all summer. It spreads by the roots and also re-seeds itself freely. The hotter and drier it gets the better this little plant seems to like it.

A shrub that will love a rocky, dry landscape is rosemary. This is a Mediteranean herb plant that loves a hot, dry location. Rosemary will get very large, and it also blooms in Spring. I like to pinch off a piece of it while I'm gardening and rub it on my hands. It smells good and seems to repel mosquitos. It also stays green all year.

Cheryl
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whitecap
14 years ago
If this is a major project, you might save yourself a lot of grief by hiring a landscape designer. The ones associated with major nurseries won't charge you an arm and a leg. If you don't have an adequate irrigation system, I would hire someone to do the trenching, and do the rest of it myself. The folks at Toro, Orbit and Rainbird will be more than happy to help you with the layout.
wantonamara Z8 CenTex
14 years ago
I really do recommend a jack hammer as a gardening tool, or finding a neighbor that has one.
mikeandbarb
14 years ago
I would not plant egg and butter unless you don't mind having it everywhere and taking over the area. I planted it and have been fighting ever since.

Look on line for rock garden ideas. Wantonamara gave you a good list. Two more plants Rock rose, black foot daisy.

Barb
hitexplanter
14 years ago
Don't forget damianita and santolina to the xeric rocky conditions we have at the lake. I would suggest checking out Schumacher's Hill Country Gardens off 1863 as you are heading into New Braunfels on Hwy 46.You will find several of the above plants there on and off throughout the year. BTW the above selections are spot on. The butter and eggs don't spread here much due to dry conditions and the soil is too thin so it is a great addition round here. A fellow Canyon Laker.. Happy Growing David