Sorry Noideaman but true Alpines need full sun - think about the way they grown in nature.

Why don't you write your progress as a series of blogs - with photos? If you number them, we'll all be able to see how you're getting on, and comment, which hopefully will help you.

Although you can't grow Alpines in shade, there are small plants that don't mind it. Look at Ajugas, Ophiopogon, some hardy Geraniums, Liriope, smaller Dicentra (e.g. D. formosa) and some very attractive ferns would look good with them, too - Athyrium filix-femina is a beauty.

Rockeries are a pain anyway, frankly - you have to be really rigorous about keeping them weeded and not allowing any grass to grow into them, because you'll never get it out again. Agree that proper rock plants will not appreciate little sunlight. How about making a bed and just planting something in it instead? With maybe a couple of rocks for decoration if you really want some rock?

How do you fancy another raised bed near the patio. There are plenty of plants which will survive happily in shade. Click on S in the A-Z at the foot of the page to see what other members grow. Terratoonie posted a blog recently where she has planted up a pebble border. It looks fantastic and would be reasonably easy to keep and use up your rocks if you have them already.

Unless you have a huge garden then a raised bed looks far better than a formal rockery... and is a darn sight easier to maintain.

I was going to say the same thing - it would look nice if you made the retaining wall from compressed stone blocks. Euphorbia robbiae Rubra doesn't mind some shade and its red spiky leaves make a nice contrast with the plants suggested by Spritz.

Sorry Steragram I'm going to disagree - make the retaining wall from local stone... it will look far more effective.

Certainly would if you can both get it and afford it! I was really thinking of stone in preference to railway sleepers, which is what I think of when anybody says raised bed.

I was very lucky when we had to do this as our neighbour was demolishing a low stone wall just at the right time!

Living where we do it is just a matte of talking to the farmers who mostly have, or near us had, spoil heaps of rock in a corner of the field.

Not everyone is as totally lucky as that - stone for most people costs a bomb. The folk across the road from us have made a rockery with huge rocks from a local quarry- looks fantastic now its maturing, but I dread to think what it cost them.

Hi you guys,It me.
Well what can i say exept thanks a lot for the amazing responce i got on my last post.I get the impression not a lot of you are great fans of rock gardens,As a result i am unsure of which way to go with this (rock garden or another raised bed).I will say however that the cost will be about the same whichever way i go.I can get a crate of longstone rocks(75 assorted, most of them fairly large) for what i think is a fair price from local tarmacadam,They work out at about £1.00 per rock.The main reason for wanting a rock garden is i wanted to incorperate i water feature(Waterfall to still pool).The grass will be no problem non of it is any good it is turf laid on top of rubble(I have mentioned this before in one of my earlier posts)what grass there is i can kill off.
But if you guys think i am on a hiding to nothing then i will go with another raised bed.Thanks again for all of your help on this one,I am taking note of what is said and will take whatever advise is given....Cheers you guys.

If you actually look at the way alpine plants grow in nature it isn't anything like the way most 'rock gardens' look. Check out some of Bulbaholic's blogs as I'm sure he has put up photos of our trips to Austria. A raised bed with rock on part of the top can look just as effective and you could still incorporate a water feature.

If you do decide to use rocks in either way remember they look more natural if they are at least half buried.

Most of the feeling against rock gardens is that they are hard work and hard to get to look natural. If you really want one don't let us put you off - it is your garden after all. It can be quite difficult to make a waterfall look natural, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have a go. In your situation you might think about forgetting natural and have perhaps water pouring from a jar, or there is a good variety of small fountains that you might like to consider instead? Either would look OK whichever way you decide on in the end.

A raised bed does not need to be all the same height along its length and breadth. Why not start at one end with a 6" high bed rising to 12" and then 18" as you travel along. It would give the impression of teiring which is maybe why you fancied a rockery and it will give you the height to allow the water to flow downstream if that is what you choose. You can use your rocks as suggested above to border the stream. The possibilities are endless. It sounds like a very exciting project and I look forward to hearing how it progresses.

That sounds like a great idea.