Eagle Lake Nurseries Ltd.

Rock Gardens for the Prairies!

If you were stuck on ideas for creativity in your garden, rock gardening would be the way to go! Whether it is on a flat or sloped area, it is all in the eye of the creator. Rock gardens usually consist of deciduous plant material but really benefit with the addition of evergreens. This adds a soft texture to the landscape as well as a four- season interest. Just picture a rock garden with evergreens, perennials and annuals to give off a vast amount of color and design to your garden. This gives your space balance, adding a natural look.

Rock gardens often use drought tolerant plants that thrive in these areas.

Plants suitable for rock garden use are:

• Woody shrubs: Arctic Willow, Creeping Willow, Dwarf Cotoneaster and Dwarf Birch
• Evergreens: Spruce-Dwarf Norway, Dwarf Globe Blue Spruce, Mops Mugo Pine, Columnar Blue Spruce
• Junipers: Motherlode, Bluestar etc.
• Perennials that are drought tolerant: (Ground Covers) Sedums, Hens & Chicks, Thyme, Rockcress, Prairie Crocus, Dianthis, Thrift and many more!

When it comes to gathering the rock for your rock garden you have the choice of collecting it on your own, or purchasing it from any local concrete company or landscape supplier. You make that decision as to the type and amount of rock you want in the garden. The many choices of rock, such as limestone, sandstone, fieldstone and river rocks. My all time favorite is limestone because it is the stone from the peaks of the Rocky Mountains known as rundle stone.

There are many different ways of creating a rock garden to suit every individual style, landscape area and budget. So feel free to plan out your rock garden but most of all have fun doing it in the mean time!!!

Renee O'Brien
Eagle Lake Nurseries Ltd.