The Rockery Project
By PANSYPOTTER
28 comments
*For sometime now I have been wanting a Rockery in my garden, I do have a number of little places around the garden where I have apline plants growing , but what I really wanted was an island bed with large rocks and devoted to rockery plants. But where would it go? the answer was staring me in the face, the centre piece in my garden was a circle cut out in the lawn which was planted with a Box and a outer circle around it planted with Hebe Green Globes ,it has been like this for a number of years and Harry has been commenting recently that we needed something more colourful as a centre piece! well thanks for the suggestion Harry its just the place for my new Rockery!
The Original Centre Piece
The Box has really grown from when we first planted it 6 years ago and the Hebes were also very small, over the years I have enjoyed trimming the Box plant first into a Ball shape then a Cone, the Hebes have also been small balls then later a hedge. They still look good but Im afraid my Rockery plan just had to happen so itwas good bye Box/Hebe, I decided to plant the Box into a pot until we could find the right place for it and the Hebes I would plant around the garden.
But first we had to decide on a shape for the new bed, I used a washing line to make the shape and Harry cut round the outline. I then dug up the Hebes one by one and found new homes for them around the borders, the box we had to leave in situ until we bought a pot bigger enough for it.
The New Shape.
Harry dug out the Turf and I stacked it at the back of the borders to rot down. We then made a list of things we would need from the GC
Grit, Sharp Sand , Compost and plants;0)
The main ingredient essential to a Rockery is ROCKS!
We were very forftunate to have inherited lots of lovely large rocks from the previous owner, the only Problem was they were all dug in places around the back of the garden, which made access to them very difficult due to all my shrubs and planting
With great difficulty, Effort and strength Harry managed to lever each one with a Crow Bar and spade then carry them through the maze of plants , placing each one on the newly cut out bed. [He deserved a Medal].
Harry placed the rocks on the proposed bed to give us some idea how they would eventually look.
Then it was off to the GC to purchase all the materials and plants we would need.
Back from the GC it was time to roll up our sleeves and start to mix the planting medium. I part Compost 2parts Grit and Sharp Sand, we dug in a layer around 8 inches before starting to place the Rocks.
Harry once again had to lift the heavy rocks and place them where we thought they looked best, the first layer in place it was time to take a well earned rest over a cuppa. [note the legs relaxing lol]
I filled in the gaps around the Rocks and added more medium before placing the final layer.
time to stand back and admire our work so far;0)
Placing the plants, this is the part I had been looking forward to most of all, it took a few changes before I was satisfied with the overall look.
At last I was able to start digging in the plants and filling in around them with grit. It was very satisfying standing back to view our work;0)
We Are Finally Finished! The sun came out and made everything look lovely, a very hard 2 days work but it was so worth it We are both so pleased with the end result;0))
For those of you who are wondering what happened to my Box Cone, well here it is settled into its new home !
Hope you have found this blog useful and interesting,especially those of you who may be thinking of making a rockery yourselves.
We will no doubt add and change plants as time goes by, but I will look forward to seeing it develop.
A big, big Thank you to Harry for all the very hard work he put in to make my dream come true!!
For anyone interested I will be doing another blog focussing on the plants I have used. Thank you for viewing;0)
13 May, 2012
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Comments
Thats great PP. That is just what I have been thinking of doing, but not in the lawn. I have a built up bed in the middle of my lower garden, and thats where I want to put it. Unfortunately I haven't a Harry to do the lifting, and I havent got the rocks yet either, but I keep promising myself. Do you hire out your Harry, he has made such an excellent job of doing yours.
13 May, 2012
I have always liked your box and hebe circle, Carol, but your rockery is just brilliant. When you mentioned rocks around the flower beds I thought of something much smaller - no wonder a crowbar was needed! I think Harry deserved more than a cup of tea too :) Great blog and I look forward to the next one detailing the plants. Hope neither of you ache too much now.
13 May, 2012
Looks great!
13 May, 2012
Ooooh I did wonder what had happened to that lovely box! But now I know lol. I love your new rockery what hard work you both have done, its brilliant. Cant wait to see how it grows. Well done Harry.
13 May, 2012
well done carole and Harry, great job and i love the shape to, glad you found a new home for the Box, but i agree even though your centre piece was great i do love the new rockery much prettier, enjoy :o)) xx
13 May, 2012
Thank you all for your lovely comments, pleased you like it!
Thanks Sticki must admit I was a bit apprehensive digging out the original Centre piece, but glad we did now, and we do have a nice view of it from the conservatory;0)
Thanks Cinderella Hope you manage to get your rockery, I am very fortunate as my Harry is very handy, but I was concerned when he was carrying the rocks around the garden , he is very fit for77 yrs and I would have felt terrible if he had hurt himself! However he is really enjoying reading your comments and proud of himself;0)
Thanks Gee Yes all the rocks are very big and heavy and they were hidden away at the back of the garden, its nice to have them where we can see and admire them now. just taking pictures of the plants now while the sun is out, but its very chilly too;0)
Thanks Sheila and Sandra so glad you like it and the box looks happy in its new place.
13 May, 2012
I did like the box and hebes Pansy but they say a change is as good as a rest, now you have the change and Harry needs a rest, it looks good and will soon fill out and you get to see even more colour in your lovely garden....
13 May, 2012
Looks good Carol, lovely to see when its all grown, love the big rocks....
13 May, 2012
Thanks LincsLass it does give me something new to look forward to and I still have my Box, the Hebes are brightening up bare patches so were put to good use too;0)
13 May, 2012
Carole it looks so brill, absolutely love it you've got me wonting one now, dont know where i'd put one though my garden is not that big to keep adding things to it, well done to both of you..
13 May, 2012
Thanks Carol pleased you like it! perhaphs you could have one on a smaller scale Carol;0)
13 May, 2012
Carole i love it, May be able to have a small one, will think about one :))
13 May, 2012
I am so impressed, both with Harry and with the new centrepiece! :)) Well done to you both!
13 May, 2012
That is one wonderful project completed. I have also recently had a rockery ambition realised. I am still selecting alpines for it. It is great fun. I left mine for 2 weeks to give the soil a chance to settle as I had 'fluffed' it up far too much :o).
Please take regular photos to show the prgress it is making. Love the big rocks. Harry deserved that cuppa.
13 May, 2012
Well thought out a great team effort and the end result looks great, I think it compliments the rest of your garden and the Box looks good in that large pot giving a little height to your collection of pots.
It seems great minds think alike Carole as I have just finished a small rockery off to the left of my stone circle but have`nt finished planting it up as yet.
13 May, 2012
Wow,Carole..that looks brilliant..and your Hero ,Harry has done a great job ,lugging all those rocks into place..I loved your box and hebe,bed,but this is lovely..I know you mentioned doing it,when we met up ,but never expected you to do it so quickly...Neither of you can be said to let the grass grow under your feet.! Lol....Never mind the cuppa,get stuck into the wine,you both deserve it :o) x
13 May, 2012
Crikey I love it such a lovely shape too clever you!
13 May, 2012
Carol Go for it so much can be achieved in the smallest of places;0)
13 May, 2012
Super...it looked good before but looks very natural now.
What a great job Harry done with carrying all those rocks. I have a 23 year old son who just moans when I ask him to move anything - Harry puts him to shame. I must show him this!
The box looks really good in that pot - sit back, relax and watch it mature now :)
13 May, 2012
Thanks Karen and Seaburnlass,Harry will be pleased to see your comments and good luck with your Rocery project too SB, will look out for your pictures as it
progresses'0)
Stroller Look foward to see what you have been doing too in your Garden when you have finished ;0)
Sandra there isnt time to dally about at our age , if you have ideas just get on with it! Took your advice and got stuck into the Wine lol
Thanks Nana and Scottish pleased you like the shape [Im a very Curvy person, not always in the right place, but go with what you have lol] and Scottish we will sit back and watch it grow now [says me with lips pursed lol] and Harry is a Star !!
13 May, 2012
WOW!! Well done, it looks as if it has always been there...excellent!
13 May, 2012
How interesting was that :o) and fascinating to watch it develop too. I love the way you've put the rocks and look forward to seeing the plants fill out. It looks really nice. Well done both of you. And I'm glad you kept the box and hebes. It would have been such a shame to get rid of them...
14 May, 2012
Thanks Michaella we were lucky to have the rocks they give it such a natural look'0)
Thanks Hywel pleased you found ir interesting, I will let you know when I put pictures on as it develops;0)
14 May, 2012
Thank you Homebird, its begining to fill out now as the plants are settling, and it is great being able to do things together, even though some ear plugs would come in handy at times lol
21 May, 2012
Congratulations to you both for achieving this ... I love the shape, the rocks, the plants ... all of it really! ... :o)
3 Jun, 2012
Thanks Shirley its really taken off now so pleased we did it;0)
3 Jun, 2012
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oooh that is really lovely pp, very brave to dig up the existing but what a fabulous transformation, you will enjoy looking at that for a very long time. looks as if you have windows or a conservatory with a rockery view ~ how very beautiful.
13 May, 2012