a cheapish way as there is know completly cheap way is to use just normal rubbel like old bricks etc for the mane part that you cant see and just use real stone for the outside and get a bag ofrockery compost to put between them . it mite be worth letting the rubble stay in the rain for a while to wash away any residual lime etc . i hope this has helpeped good luck .
ps you could build a block wall at the part you cantsee to and perhaps plant a couple of nice shrubs behind it ,

thank you any suggestions on plants and shrubs that i could use in the rockery ones that dont need to much looking after

To get material for our rockeries I used to drive around the countryside and look for piles of stones in the corners of farmers fields - the ones that have been ploughed up over the years and dumped. The farmers are always happy for you to take them away.
For compost I use a mixture of garden soil plus soil conditioner and small grit that I buy.
Garden Centers have a section for 'Alpine Plants', all of which are suitable for rockeries though some can become rather large and straggley after a few years. 'Dwarf conifers' are small trees and will require taking out once they become too large.
Locate your rockery in a reasonably sunny position and don't let it dry out.
Look at the bottom of this page and click on the letter 'R' and then click on 'Rockery Ideas' to see what some GoYers have done with rockeries in their own gardens.

The only small tip I would add to the others already given is not to put in stones that are too heavy to shift by yourself because, a year on, you will be frustrated when you can't get at the weeds growing out from under them if you can't lift them. I know the idea is to keep your rockery weed free always, but .......

To be honest I don't see a rockery as an 'easy garden option'. Because, in general, the plants are small you have to weed assiduously to keep it looking good. Remember to cover the whole surface with pea gravel after you have planted.

Also following on from Ojib's comment make sure you remove any perennial weeds before you start. Especially things like bindweed and couch grass.

I'd agree with Moongrower's remark - rockeries are not an easy care, low maintenance option in the garden. Rigorous attention to weeding must be paid at all times, or you'll end up with couch grass and lord knows what else popping up in it.

Easy care, low maintenance to me would be

1 Removing all the perennial weeds
2 Covering with a weed membrane
3 Covering membrane with a good 3 inches or more of gravel, slate chipping's, marble chipping's in fact anything you fancy but not bark as this will rot down
4 Using plants in containers

Not what I do myself but it is easy to maintain.

I'd agree that rockeries are not low maintenance. If your garden is very weedy it would be as well to put off your rockery until you have tidied the rest as once you get weeds into it they can be difficult to eradicate. If you use your present garden soil there will be odd bits of root and weed seeds in it. You can get helpful books on making rockeries from your local library, unless the council have shut it...

i agree i would sort the rest of the garden first . just get the bigger stones and weeds out at least . you can use compost free of weeds for your rockery when you do it . it mite be worth getting a nice pond waterfall from said rockery when and if you do it to .

NP if there are weeds in the soil the it doesn't matter if the compost is weed free the weeds will appear...

not if you only use weed free compost on your rockery and maybe put a piece of weed membrane down .

A rockery is a high maintenance piece of garden - I should know it is all we have... And water features also require a lot of attention in my experience. Copy and paste this link for some ideas of how a rockery can look http://bit.ly/nCEq16

if you look at my pond its 2000 gallons and all ive ever had to do in 12 years is clean the pump out about 3 times and that was my fault . the water is as clear if not clearer than tap water . the fact that i have oxygen loving trout and sterlet up to 3` speaks volumes .

Large ponds are easier to keep balanced than small ones though NP, and they need to be at least 6x8' if they aren't going to risk going bad occasionally though a pump and filter would probably prevent it. I still wouldn't recommend a rockery for a beginner who wants low maintenance.

well your right about the big pond part realy to a degree but not with moving water and we will have to agree to dissagree on the rockery i guess . know hard fealings . i guess theres rockeries and rockeries x .

Of course no hard feelings NP. My parents had a nice rockery but it got couch grass in it after a while and was very difficult to keep looking good after that. It has rather put me off I have to admit - they are lovely if you have time and enthusiasm but low maintenance doesn't sound like enthusiasm to me. I guess yours is lovely though!

i havnt got one as it goes now but i have had . i basicly did it as said with rubble and cemented nice stones wear you could see . i left pockets of soil to put small rockery loving plants in and mulched it . admitadly the building wasnt easy work but looking after it was easy i thaught . just nip the odd weed out if it reared its ugly head .

Blythe hasn't come back to us - wonder what (s)he'll decide after all that?

yes sterogram i think every possible option has been mentioned here lol x .

I've noticed a lot of folk post a question and then never respond, even just to say 'thank you'

And has anyone else observed that, the longer the questioner goes on not responding, the more answers/comments/advice get added beneath their question from us lot? Perhaps we drive them away with the deluge...

who knows what the reasen is but answering there questions bye nature shouldnt be the reasen or they wouldnt ask the question .