Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Site Preparation and Weed Control
• Method 2 of 3: Setting up a stone garden
• Method 3 of 3: Planting Plants
• Tips
• Warnings

Stone gardens highlight the natural beauty of plants and create a natural environment for them. The stone garden is easy to maintain and can be set up in a yard of any size, including on uneven or sloping areas. And if a lot of weeds grow on the site, a stone garden will help get rid of them.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Site Preparation and Weed Control

1. 1 Think about the features and details of your garden. What kind of garden do you want to build - large or small, shaded or exposed to the sun? Most plants suitable for a stone garden (such as alpine flora) love the sun, but if your area is shaded, you can adapt the planting scheme to suit your garden conditions. Before you start building, try sketching your garden on paper.
   • A stone garden is a durable structure, so you should not break it up in places where sewer manholes or underground utilities are located, to which access is sometimes needed.
2. 2 Clear the area where you want to create a stone garden. Clear it of plants, grass, garden furniture, tree roots, and anything else that might get in your way. It will be easier for you to plan the site if you mark the area in advance by digging out shallow grooves around the perimeter with a shovel.
3. 3 Prepare the drainage system. If excess moisture does not drain well from the soil in your area, you will have to improve the drainage system. You can improve soil permeability in the following way:
   • Remove the topsoil several tens of centimeters thick. Apply a layer of gravel, crushed stone, broken brick, pebbles or coarse sand about 20 cm thick. These materials will improve the permeability of the soil.
4. 4 To prevent weeds from growing, cover the ground with special geotextiles. If weeds grow on the area where you plan to build a stone garden, cover it with a covering cloth to contain the growth of unwanted flora.
   • The fabric will allow water to pass through, but will prevent weeds from growing.
5. 5 Newspapers can be used instead of geotextiles. If you don't want to use a cloth, cover the topsoil with several layers of old newspaper. Over time, the paper will deteriorate, but will still contain the growth of weeds.
   • Don't worry that newspapers will ruin the look of your garden - you will add another layer of soil and stones on top of them.

Method 2 of 3: Setting up a stone garden

1. 1 Pick up stones for your garden. Choose stones of different sizes - both large and small. Try to find two or three particularly large stones that will stand out from the general background. You may wish to match stones of the same type and color. They will look natural and natural.
   • Reinforce large stones with bricks or small stones to stabilize them.
2. 2 Stones can be used not only for visual design, but also for arranging flower beds. As mentioned earlier, you can give your garden a natural look by positioning the rocks as they would in the wild. If you want your garden to look more rigorous, make geometric flower beds out of stones. This will highlight the area you will be working with and give your garden a neat look.
3. 3 Sprinkle earth between the stones. When you have placed all the stones, cover the gaps between them with earth. If you want to give your garden a more natural look, try digging the rocks shallow into the ground so they don't look like they are rolling freely around the yard.
   • Use soil that is free of weeds as the top layer. You can add about 30% sand to the soil so that it allows moisture to pass through well.
   • If you take soil from another part of your garden, be careful - it may be infested with weeds.
4. 4 Compact the soil. Compact the soil well and water it with a garden hose to settle. Wait a few days before planting plants in your garden, as stones can sink and move.

Method 3 of 3: Planting Plants

1. 1 Choose plants based on the characteristics of your site - soil type, lighting, and so on. Remember that if you plant plants that die off in winter, your garden will look neglected and unkempt during the cold season. You may want to choose year-round evergreens as the main content of your garden.
   • Small plants growing in groups are well suited for a stone garden. Therefore, it is worth choosing alpine plants and stonecrops, as they look great against the background of stones. There are many varieties of evergreen alpine plants. For example, Celmisia ramulosa, carnations, some year-round plantains and spruce varieties.
   • Small conifers are often planted in stone gardens, although Japanese maple is a very elegant plant. It looks good all year round.
2. 2 Some plants also inhibit weed growth. For example, Leptinella potentillina or some species of sedum cover the soil so tightly that they prevent weeds from breaking out of the ground.
3. 3 Be aware that some plants may lack moisture in stone gardens. Large stones accumulate heat well, so heat-loving plants will feel comfortable next to them. However, plants that do not like heat and require a lot of moisture may not take root in a stone garden.
4. 4 You don't have to plant your entire garden with plants. Typically, gardens or flower beds serve as decorative functions and are designed to hide areas of bare land. But with stone gardens, everything is different, since the main thing here is a harmonious combination of stones and plants. Therefore, it is not necessary to plant the entire territory of the stone garden with plants.
   • Plants in stone gardens tend to grow slowly, so leave plenty of room for them to grow.
5. 5 Take care of your stone garden. Although many plants in stone gardens are undemanding (that is, they do not require frequent watering), you may need to weed your garden every few days. Weeds won't give you much of a hassle if you spread a layer of newspaper or geotextile as described in the first method.
   • Ants may be of some concern to you if they arrange their colony between stones. If that doesn't bother you, just leave them alone. If this neighborhood is unpleasant for you, buy an ant repellent at your garden store.

Tips

• You can get rid of weeds by removing the top layer of soil about 75 cm thick and replacing it with fresh soil. In this case, we also recommend placing a layer of geotextile under the fresh ground.
• When laying stones, pay attention to their texture and color.
• Before planting your garden, you can apply a chemical weed control agent. Most likely, after this, you will have to wait until the substance wears out from the soil so that it does not harm the planted plants.
• Sometimes fine pebbles, sand or even sea shells scattered between the stones give a great look to a stone garden. Sinks are especially useful in a coastal garden.

Warnings

• Try not to injure your back by lifting weights. You may need help placing large stones.