Making a Rock Garden

A practical handbook instructs amateur gardeners how to design and build naturalistic rock gardens by studying natural rock-plant associations. It covers choosing an appropriate site and avoiding poor locations, construction techniques such as terracing, steps and sunken depressions, stone placement and planting crevices, and methods for creating wall, water and bog gardens. The text lists and describes suitable alpine, rock-loving and moisture-preferring plants and explains planting, soil and drainage needs and seasonal care. Emphasis is placed on achieving a convincing, picturesque effect that mimics nature while enabling cultivation of species that will not thrive in ordinary beds.