Rock garden - Definition and Overview

A rock garden, also known as a rockery or an alpine garden, is a type of garden that features extensive use of rocks or stones, along with plants native to rocky or alpine environments.

Rock garden plants tend to be small, both because many of the species are naturally small, and so as not to cover up the rocks. They may be grown in troughs (containers), or in the ground. The plants will usually be types that prefer well-drained soil and less water.

The usual form of a rock garden is a pile of rocks, large and small, esthetically arranged, and with small gaps between, where the plants will be rooted. Some rock gardens incorporate bonsai.

A naturalistic rockery in England

External links

• The Alpine Garden, Rock Gardening on the Net (http://www.thealpinegarden.com/)
• Alpine-L mailing list (http://listserv.surfnet.nl/archives/alpine-l.html)
• North American Rock Garden Society homepage (http://www.nargs.org)
• Scottish Rock Garden Club homepage (http://www.srgc.org.uk/)