There are many benefits to learning how to build a rockery in your garden. They make a great low-maintenance focal point in landscapes of varying sizes, by adding height, structure and alpine planting.
Rockeries can be built on top of areas in garden landscaping which have previously been troublesome to cultivate, for example, on an area of heavy clay.
“Often, rockeries are paired with small alpines planted to emerge from within the cracks and crevices, with gravel or small stones surrounding foliage. They are also incredibly low maintenance," says garden designer Melanie Hick.
"Alpine plants are drought-resistant and therefore require little watering, making them a great choice for hot summers, while the addition of gravel allows rainwater from heavy downpours to soak away into the soil easily, rather than running off and causing floods," she says.
How to build a rockery – step by step
“A rockery can be as small or as large as you like, making it an ideal way to create a striking feature in a garden design, whether you have a large bed or border to play with or small corner of a garden," says Melanie Hick.
"Alpine plants are hardy perennials that are usually planted in rocky environments, hence why they work so well in a rockery," says landscaping expert Tom Clifford.
Melanie Hick designed a show garden at the prestigious RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2024. The “Climate-Forward Garden” embodied the core principles of MHGD, depicting a front garden re-imagined for today’s ever-changing climate.
Tom has been in the garden landscaping business for over 13 years making him an expert in garden design. He is the director of Gardenstone Limited a garden landscaping materials company.
1. Find the right location and prep the site
The first step when building a rockery is to find the right location in your garden. A spot that gets plenty of sun and has good drainage is ideal. An area that that frequently suffers from waterlogged soil should be avoided, as should spots that have lots of overhanging trees that would shade it from the sun too much.
It's also best to clear the area of any grass or weeds first to make sure you are starting with a good base.
2. Plan the layout of your rockery
Sketching out a basic design on paper is a good starting point when planning your rockery. Mark where the larger rocks are going to sit and gradually incorporate your planting plan.
An alternative way to map out your rockery, aside from pen and paper, is by physically placing your rocks on the ground before bedding them in fully. "Position larger pieces toward the back of the space and use smaller pieces to surround the arrangement and fill in any gaps between the bigger rocks," advises garden designer Melanie Hick.
3. Source your rocks and plants
You'll need some large and medium rocks as well as gravel or pebbles. "Popular types of rocks used within a rockery include granite, limestone and slate with these rocks coming in all different sizes from pebbles to boulders," says landscaping expert Tom Clifford.
When it comes to choosing plants for a rockery Melanie Hick suggests Alpine plants. "These are typically small varieties that produce lots of little flowers and are usually found in areas of high altitude, making them naturally hardy and low maintenance, perfect for the changing climate we are experiencing both here in the UK and globally," says Melanie.
“Some of my favourite varieties include creeping thyme, campanula, and armeria – if you can opt for nectar-rich varieties then wildlife will enjoy your rockery as much as you do. Remember that most alpines are plants for full sun, so a sunny, south-facing position for your rockery is best," says Melanie.
Shop alpine plants for rockeries
Mounds of purple-blue flowers will spread between cracks and crevices in a rock garden. They will be a welcome source of nectar for bees in the summer months too.
This alpine plant will thrive in a rock garden. It starts producing flowers in spring and will bloom well into summer too.
Succulents are another excellent choice as rockery plants. They thrive in full sun and are very drought tolerant. This selection has a good variety of colours and shapes.
4. Secure your rocks in position
"When creating a rockery you want to start with your biggest rocks and place them spread out across the area your rockery will cover. These large stones will act as the starting point for your rockery and create a structure for smaller rocks to be positioned around them," says garden landscape expert Tom Clifford.
"This process of positioning your rocks is mostly trial and error and you may keep changing the position of them until you achieve your desired look. Before positioning your smaller rocks in the gaps you may wish to place the compost down and add your plants. You can then use smaller rocks to fill the gaps and use pebbles as a finishing touch," says Tom.
5. Add your plants into your new rockery scheme
A good way to work out your final plant placement is to initially place the plants while they are still in their pots. This allows you to see what the finished design will look like before fully committing to planting them in the ground. Do bear in mind you will need to consider their final height and spread once fully grown.
In order to achieve a naturalistic look, Melanie advises positioning them in cracks and crevices where you’d expect to see plants popping up in their natural environment. "Finally, use gravel or small stone to top compost, and your rockery is ready," says Melanie.
FAQs
Does a rockery need soil?
"As rockeries contain alpine plants they require a soil base, preferably a nutrient-dense compost that is well-draining. However, before laying any compost it's important to remove all of the weeds and add a layer of rubble or small stones, this will improve drainage," says garden landscape expert Tom Clifford.
"Once the large rocks have been positioned you can then create a layer of compost ready for planting. To create a well-draining compost I recommend combining even parts of multi-purpose compost with horticultural grit or sand," says Tom.
A rock garden is a great low-maintenance option for a garden. You could extend this principle to other areas of your landscaping with a gravel garden layout.
EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this article included a quote from a purported expert whose credentials we have not been able to verify. The quote has been removed. We regret this lapse in our verification process and have updated our internal protocols to reduce the risk of recurrence.
