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Permalink Reply by AndyCharles-EnborneGardeningCo on November 19, 2010 at 23:44

I agree with Phil's advice on this - my local landscaping supplier has sample displays and catalogues, but also holds very small stocks which are useful for when you need a samples to take away or a feature stone.

On the general rockery point, however, I disagree that all of them have no place today. OK, the old 70's style rockeries look terrible and I have only ever been asked to take them out, never put them in. But I have recently been asked to do more interesting rock-based gardens, including two current projects based on the Czech style of crevice gardening with extensive alpine planting, and one based on the principles of xeriscaping using only grasses.

They will look fantastic when they are completed, and show, I think, that with some lateral thinking there is a definite place for rock gardens in todays garden. They are also ideal for coping with any future climate change. They do, however, require choosing the right rock, so quarry visits are essential.

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Permalink Reply by Geoff Norfolk on November 20, 2010 at 10:54

Gaynor Witchard said:

I've designed a couple of Japanese style gardens lately which require the use of rocks.

For me, the term 'rockery' conjures up piles of rocks dumped in the middle of a garden with a half hearted attempt to grow a few plants on it.

I incorporate rocks into Japanese style dry stream beds or in coastal designs, so think they still definitely have a place in design - but in a different way now.

Agree with you there Gaynor..... they can be used to good effect and not in a rockery. Particularly handy I find, when you've a sloped area and you want to "terrace" it.
Actual rockeries are great though for when you want to buy all the left over rubble lol!!

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Permalink Reply by Jamie Sessford on November 20, 2010 at 20:38

Have built a few rock gardens, afraid all of them have been from constucted from natural weathered material that the client has had down the bottom of the garden or acquired from somewhere.

Just this week actually I helped somebody drag out a prize rock from the undergrowth that he has been trying to get out fo the past few years. Some 10ft posts, strops and a kubota managed to get it out. Then dragged out on a sheet of 8x4 and positioned (avoiding wrecking it with the bucjet of a mini digger).

The next morning the holllows in it were full of water and the birds were drinking out of it, looked brilliant. Hoping to get the head gardener to give the say so to reposition the existing rockery which is lost under some conifers near this stone to the new bed.

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Permalink Reply by pete on November 20, 2010 at 21:50

The ones I've had to tend... specially the big ones like David mentions – if they've got perennial weed in can be a pain – I had one with 3 foot rocks, conifers planted as 'dwarf growing' now (then) as tall as the house and brambles – cleared it all out – got rid of the conifers, planted up, I worked there five years and brambles were still popping up. We've got a current one with sheep's sorrel in it – tiny little thing but it won't go away.

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Permalink Reply by Brett Sheridan on November 23, 2010 at 9:50

Wow, I wasn't expecting this much response from my first post!
Sorry for my lack of replies, it's been a very busy week here, (no complaints).

There have been some great ideas and suggestions mentioned, all have been taken on board for discussion and some pretty humorous comments too so thank you all for your feedback.

We have decided, for the short term, to stick it out with out rockery range and change our marketing tact slightly to highlight a few more up-to-date rockery uses to provide our designers with a little inspiration rather than focus on the potentially old-fashioned rockery garden ideas.

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