Rock gardens are becoming the go-to solution for areas where it’s difficult to grow plants or where watering your yard is not an affordable or environmentally friendly option.
We’ve put together a collection of rock garden ideas and designs to showcase what’s possible.
- What can I put in a rock garden?
There are different types of plants that are drought tolerant and thrive in sandy soil. Cacti and succulents are the most common. If you don’t live in a warm climate, consider Alpine plants, rockery plants, and ornamental grasses.
- How do you arrange rocks in a rock garden?
The goal is to make them look as natural as possible. Position them in the same way you would find them in an open space. River rocks should have the rounded parts facing upward. Smaller rocks naturally drop around larger rocks.
- How do I make a rock garden?
- First, decide what type of garden you’d like and if you want any type of water features or a particular plant.
- Clear the land and fill it with sandy soil.
- Build from the outside in. The larger stones go on the outside and the smaller rocks are dropped into the center. You can build up or across, depending on your goals.
- Add Plants. If you’re adding plants, try various places among the rocks while they’re still in their containers. At this point, you may want to change up the rocks by adding or removing until you get the look you want.
If you get stuck, consult a landscape designer. They’ll help you overcome any obstacles.
This rock garden has a little of everything. Larger rocks add weight to the area. Alpine plants peek out among the smaller rocks
A low rock wall added height, which created a transitional space between the grass and the brick and iron perimeter fence.
This garden idea flips the script on a dry riverbed by using stepping stones at the bottom to create a path that flows along a row of large river rocks. Low growing alpine flowers add color.
A desert rock garden can be used as a transitional space between areas.
The center was built up and secured using large rocks. As the rockery plants grow, their roots will also help secure the garden bed.
Many landscaping ideas include stepping stones and large rocks. These steps are cut from quarried stone.
A step up from a rock garden with a dry riverbed is a garden with a water feature.
Here, a shallow pond was built near the grass using river rocks and pea gravel.
A stunning idea is to plant a single species of rock garden plant in a section of your rock garden.
Light colored pebbles contrast with the red plant in the other section of the garden bed. Try a drought tolerant plant such as red salvia or red Texas sage.
A Japanese rock garden is an elegant design alternative to a traditional garden.
If you’re considering this garden idea, keep in mind that a Zen garden typically includes sand swirling around large rocks and a water feature like a pond or waterfall.
Ornamental grasses and alpine plants bring color and texture to this rock garden.
If you know a rock garden design is the idea for your yard but hate giving up the lawn, why not include a small section of grass?
This garden grows a path that allows you to still enjoy the feel of soft grass under your feet.
A dry river bed is one of the most appealing upgrades you can make to your landscape. A landscape designer can show you how to include a water feature like this gorgeous stone path that’s lined with rock garden plants.
This rock garden design includes a dry riverbed as a drainage solution.
Large rocks add visual weight to the base of this tree.
The inner circle can be filled with a flower bed or any type of low-growing plants.
At higher elevations, a rock garden can be combined with alpine plants.
The rocks keep the soil from being lost to erosion.
Even if you live in a climate as dry as Las Vegas, you can still come up with unique landscaping ideas for your rock garden.
Experiment with drought-tolerant plants that love sandy soil. The pea gravel used here lowers the amount of dust that kicks up on windy days.
Rockery plants and ornamental grasses turned a pile of large rocks into a colorful rock garden.
A landscape designer can help you decide if the lower areas of your property would benefit from installing a French drain.
This area is a striking path using pea gravel contrasted by an edging made of large black rocks.
via Bliss Garden Design
If your landscape is filled with large rocks, fill in the spaces with rockery plants. These plants don’t require a lot of moisture and add lots of color to the space.
via NC Designs
If you live in a warm, dry climate but are not sure you can live without plants, consider a succulent garden. Succulents and cacti thrive in sandy soil and warm temperatures.
via Whitmores
A rock garden is used to control the flow of rainwater. The rocks and plants work together to hold soil and control erosion.
Stepping stones act as a transitional space across the walkway.
via Gardens By Gabriel
the look of your landscape. Stepping stones are set around a water feature in a bed of river rocks.
Water fountains are surprisingly easy to add to your landscape.
via Extreme Interiors
Landscaping ideas that include seating areas are always popular. This one has garden beds acting like little vignettes with edging made of quarried stone.
The outside areas can be covered with pavers or gravel.
via Aden Landscaping
One idea for protecting a traditional garden is to keep it in an enclosed area with a high fence.
Flower and vegetable beds are separated from the rest of the landscape and grown in separate beds. Pebbles are used to separate the beds.
via HomeGardenDesign
Using river rocks in your rock garden will never go out of style. The smooth stones pouring out of a container into a dry river bed has become an evergreen idea.
via Folia Horticulture
This spectacular rock garden has plenty of ideas you can use in your landscape.
The rock wall adds another layer or height. They use stepping stones to draw the eye to the water feature.
via JPM Landscape
Large rocks add height and texture to this rock garden. It gets its color with the addition of rockery plants.
Rock garden design adds another dimension to landscaping ideas.
Using a single species of flower gives this rock garden a unique look.
Corner rock gardens are an easy way to control rain runoff and hide the drain pipe. They’re a beginner-friendly project.
Using larger rocks along the edge works to protect the drain pipe. Smaller white rocks add contrast.
Rock garden ideas sometimes evolve out of necessity. If you have a section of grass in your landscape that is always brown, try creating a rock garden.
Gather large rocks around the edge and build inside using smaller rocks, stones, and plants that like sandy soil.
Rock gardening doesn’t have to be big or complex to look amazing. This rock garden has basic drought tolerant plants. It’s the placement of them in three separate sections of small rocks that creates interest.
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The backyard landscaping makes a hint to the level of sophistication of the interior. Seeing an organized, differentiated and decorated backyard instantly speaks about the design skills of the home owners and their feel for affection with their home.
The good looking backyard, being the first thing a guest sees, also creates the first impressions and they should be for a comfortable and welcoming home.
With the next backyard ideas we will reveal 15 of most impressive ways to upgrade the outdoor area.
Water features act like magnets for people and wildlife. Creating a small pond, a waterfall or installing a fountain in the backyard could be a way to give the landscape character and a more relaxing flair.
Surround the water feature with river rocks and rock garden plants to complete the nook.
If you have a mature tree in your backyard, you can be called lucky. In addition to its majestic beauty, the tree is also a starting point to create a relaxing corner.
You can install a hammock on its branches or arrange a sitting corner below its thick crown. The natural shade will ensure that time spent outdoors is cool and calm.
If you want to make the nook more exciting, you can install strings of lights, lanterns and other hanging decorations.
Decorate the walkway curving through your backyard with a wooden arc. Plant climbing roses or other varieties next to the supports to let them weave around them and “build” a blooming living arc.
This feature will cost you almost nothing, especially if there is leftover lumber, but at the same time will upgrade the overall look of the backyard and will improve the curb appeal.
There is an idea for every garden space, even the tiniest one. With a tiered flower stand like the one shown here, you can have your small herb or flower garden in a small corner.
The vertical layout ensures a compact size and plenty tiered space where the pots can be placed.
Want a fairytale garden? You can do it if you make a planting plan. Gather seedlings of as many flowers as you can and arrange them in a pattern.
Roses, jasmine, lavender, sunflowers in combination with short evergreen shrubs make an amazing living carpet that will provide texture and color to the green lawn.
Decking comes in help when the backyard is uneven. It is a cost-effective way to straighten the terrain and ensure a leveled space for an outdoor sitting corner.
You can make it from composite decking boards, pallet slats, PVC or pressure-treated wood.
Make a comfortable living outdoor area where you can have a meal, a drink or a nice chat with your family or friends.
Invest in furniture and shelter so that there isn’t any obstacle to the pleasantly spent time outdoors. Decorate with flower pots, strings of lights and other decorations that are suitable for the interior. They will make the atmosphere homier and welcoming.
If you have defined the backyard into sectors, you can add a pergola to visually unite them. Being part of the garden decor, it will be clever to cover the pergola’s sides with trellises where roses or other climbing plants can develop and create a whimsy garden transition.
The tiered look of this fountain resembles a waterfall as if nature has created it. The sloping terrain has provided the perfect set for a waterfall surrounded by a rock garden.
Why having a waterscape has become so popular? Some people want it to listen to the murmuring sound of water, others want to attract songbirds, dragonflies and frogs. Nevertheless, a water feature can instantly transform the backyard design and certainly turns into a focal point.
Adding a staircase to the garden is a way to visually enlarge a garden and give it structural depth. Complete the staircase with short retaining walls on either side of it and decorate the surroundings with flower pots.
The material of the staircase depends on the existing decor. A country-style garden will embrace a wooden staircase while an English type of garden will match brick or tile stairs.
A stone staircase is also an option if there is a paver walkway or concrete stepping stones or tiles.
Repurposing items into garden decor gives the landscape an outstanding character and unique effect. Galvanized tubs can become ponds, flower pots, herb gardens, or a waterfall. Old chests of drawers stay opened to hold cascading flowers.
That broken chair is given a new life with fresh and bright paint color to hold a tuft of blooming flowers. The broken birdbath can be repurposed into a flower stand to add a pop of bright color to the green background.
It is always a good idea to plan in advance the planting. With that, you will assure that there are colorful blooms all the time.
Use shrubs and ornamental grass to give the garden a character. You can also use a pattern for planting which will make the result more harmonious.
credit: Isabelle Cloutier
It is time to turn that trodden soil pathway in the garden into a beautiful walkway. If you have postponed that for so many years because you think that it will take up a fortune, actually, this outdoor feature is one of the most affordable ones if you make it yourself.
The walkway is not only functional to cross the garden without damaging any of the plants but also a visual attraction that divides the flower garden or the lawn parts.
A stepping stone walkway is another great and affordable backyard idea that will instantly upgrade the overall look of your property. There is a number of DIY stepping stone ideas – from mosaic ones, flagstone walkways to concrete steps with interesting shapes made with ready-made or natural molds.
The edging is the perfect way to define the lawn and the flower garden. You can make the edge with river rocks, bricks, logs, gravel or any other natural material.
When the edge is already in place, you will see how much maintained and in shape your backyard looks.
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Is your garden space too small to release your green thumb creativity? The small space is no longer a problem with our 14 Stunning Ideas To Save Gardening Space.
We are here to inspire you to make your outdoors unique and beautiful and to leave your imprint on the landscape. All of the ideas here are DIY, with affordable or free materials and customizable to fit your outdoor space.
The old but beautiful chest of drawers may not be very storage useful anymore but that isn’t a reason to throw it away because we have an inspiring idea of how to repurpose it. Turn it into a layered vertical garden for succulents.
This vertical planter is space-saving and its rustic look will add a touch of nostalgia to the outdoor space.
Vertical planters are very practical for small garden areas or for decoration of covered patio or porch.
You don’t have to go to the garden stores and look for a suitable planter. You can do it easily yourself as long as you have one pallet and pipe brackets.
Screw the brackets to the pallet slats configuring the best alignment pattern based on the flower pots you are about to insert into them.
For an enhanced rustic look, leave the pallet wood untreated. In case your outdoor nook is missing a touch of bright color, this vertical planter can add it if you paint the wood.
This is another great landscape idea for small garden spaces. Instead of placing flower pots in the ground and cover the precious walkway space, you can stack them vertically.
The flower pedestal is a tiered flower stand. It can be built from wood, metal or plastic tubes. Choosing the right flower kinds ensures that the stand remains unvisible. The final result is a colorful blooming column.
The plastic door organizers from the Dollar Tree can be used in numerous ways. They are great for neat storage of shoes, scarves, jewelry and also amazingly functional as planters.
Fill each pocket with soil and plant the desired variety. You can create a dedicated herb garden to enjoy the scent and flavor of freshly cut spices.
This outdoor decor idea is easy to make and saves plenty of garden space.
To make these trellis-like flower stands you need thin slats or bamboo sticks. Assemble them in the pattern shown in the image and then fix to the exterior wall with hardware.
Galvanized buckets with hooks match perfectly the wood texture of the stand.
Rock gardens can be made in the size upu desire. In case you are limited in space but at the same time want a rock garden with a wide range of plant varieties, then go for a spiral pattern.
Rock gardens are easy to maintain and at the same time create a lovely focal point in the garden.
Repurpose the old painter’s ladder into a flower stand. No need to do any upgrades. In fact, the more weathered it is, the bigger its country effect is.
This type of vertical stand is perfect for herb pots or cascading flowers.
Wicker baskets are suitable for indoor and outdoor space-saving solutions. Do you wonder how to repurpse them into planters so that the rattan doesn’t rot from water?
Add garden liner to the bottom of the baskets and then fill with soil.
To make the baskets tiered, get a strong and thick rope and thread it through the rattan.
Cinder blocks are a universal material for outdoor features. You can build a firepit, edge a garden, create benches or stack them vertically to build a dual-function fence.
This garden space-saving idea has a modern look with the mismatched alignment of the cinder blocks.
Fill the holes of the blocks with soil and plant succulen or herbs. Their roots are shallow and are suitable for such planters.
With this DIY garden space-saving idea, you can build a wall acting as a planter.
The supplies you need are cedar posts, chicken wire, and terra cotta pots. Hang the pots with hooks. If the pots are arranged as tight as possible to each other, the vertical planter will also become a living privacy wall.
The pyramid type of strawberry planters are very efficient. First, the pyramid structure takes up little space from the garden. Using the space vertically ensures multiple layers for planting. That ends in more harvest from a square inch compared to ground planting in the same size of space.
Thanks to the pyriamid design each strawberry seedling receives equal light amount.
This compact her garden will add a fresh rustic touch to the porch walls. It is very compact, customaziable and very easy to make.
You can start the herbs from seeds planted directly in the jars. Make sure that the vertical garden receives enough indirect light.
These upside down planters are going to be the star of your interior or exterior! Any plant can be hung like this. The key to the magic is to repurpose a plastic bottle or a tin can into a pot.
Cut the bottom with a can opener and drill holes. One of the holes will be for the hook, the rest for watering. Put the bottom back to its place and seal generously with strong tape. On the upper side of the bottle or the can put a coffee filter and take the plant leaves out of its central hole carefully. Seal with tape.
The final step is to decorate the pots to give them an appealing look.
If you have pieces of rain gutters left, you can turn them into planters. This tiered garden idea is perfect to add to the end of the porch. It will double its function also as a privacy wall.
