A rock garden is a way to help you capture the wide open spaces in your own yard. They use very little space for the most part, may be a good addition to a small garden area, and will grow well in nearly any climate.

A rock garden isn’t normally a large undertaking because they aren’t easy to manage and keep clean. This makes them the idea inclusion for city dwelling home owners. They can grow a wide variety of plants or flowers in a very small area.

Once you have your rock garden begun and it establishes itself, the labor is very much a thing of the past. The garden will quite literally grow itself without a lot of help from you. This is true only so long, however, as you use native plants to plant in the rock spaces. Using plants that are rated for an alpine forest won’t do in a very hot or humid environment, or in the desert.

Common sense says to get the best look for the least labor; you want to plant things that are accustomed to the area in which you live. Those plants will grow best with little or no interference on your part.

To get your own rock garden in any area, remove all vegetation and cover the area in question with newspaper or gardening plastic.

Fill that area with dirt or soil that is native to your area, adding some compost or peat to help the area establish itself.

Add a few rocks in a circular way, or if you want a more natural garden, do them haphazardly, making sure that you have planting space between them. Begin adding plants in between.

Fill in any empty areas between the plants with more rocks. Add enough soil to fill the area and make sure the plants are deep enough to survive the winter or a very hot summer if you’re planting in the desert. Above all else, stick with plants that are going to survive your climate.

The plant selection will be unique depending on your area. Some plants will survive well in multiple climates so if you’re up in the air about the right addition, research plants that are found all around the globe.