Rock garden plants – our 6 favorites make the rocky landscape colorful
The rock garden is no news in garden art. More than two centuries have passed since the first rocky landscape was created in London’s Chelsea Physic Garden in 1773, but the popularity of this particular garden design is constantly growing. The modern man feels more and more often attracted by the robustness of the stones and the splendor of color of certain rock garden plants. But most of all, he speaks of the full harmony and serenity in the rock garden.
The rocky landscape in your own outdoor area must be a true imitation of the mountain landscape and bring a small piece of it into your garden. Since robust and drought-resistant plants thrive in the wild, these species also fit well in the rock garden. Among these species, however, there are some that appear as a splash of color between the stones. They lead a lot of color and cheerfulness into a rocky garden design. Especially on such rock garden plants, we want to draw our attention today and present our 6 favorites from their list.
Evergreen cacti are welcome in every rock garden
The most creative part in designing a rock garden is its planting. Here you can give free rein to your ingenuity and express your skills in the selection and arrangement of suitable plant species. Our tip is: choose warmth-loving, hardy and easy-care plants. In the interstices, created between the stones, thrive evergreen plants that determine the basic color of green throughout the rock garden.
This dominant color can be perfectly combined with the gray of the weathered stone, creating a unique view. A saturated green shows thick-leafed cacti and other succulents that must not be missing in any rocky landscape. For example, the houseleek can thrive everywhere and in principle requires almost no care.
The thick-bodied leaves of the various Sedum species store water and can easily survive the dryness
Certainly, the fat hen is the most famous sedum and the most popular rock garden plant. Of all the 500 Sedum species, some of them are very popular nationwide and can be seen in every rock garden. Spicy stonecrop (Sedum acre) is often called “devil in the garden” and is considered insensitive. Sedum cyaneum “Sakhalin”, also known as the rose carpet Sedum, is very drought-tolerant. These thick-leafed plants store the water in their leaves and can survive long periods of drought. That’s why they fit in every rock garden. But now we want to see which plants grow well between stones and gravel and bring a lot of color into this garden landscape. In the following, we present you undemanding garden plants that bring their flower splendor to the surface on dry soil.
Primula (Primula) – colorful rock garden flowers
The primrose is undoubtedly a very popular garden plant in German-speaking countries. It can grow just as well in pots, window boxes and pots as it does in the garden. It is one of the first messengers of spring and will show us its glorious colors from March – from white to pink, yellow and purple to orange and red, the primroses will bloom in various enchanting colors. They prefer a sunny spot but need regular watering. Their flowers are delicate, but robust and grow 8-10 cm high. These are all characteristics that make the primroses perfect for a rock garden. Their rich colors bring a new color to the rocky landscape. In addition, these garden beauties are easy to care for. Remove only the withered flowers and the primroses will delight your eyes with their variety of colors throughout the summer.
The variety of colors of the primroses is a pleasure for the eyes
Lavender (Lavandula) – total eye-catcher in violet paired with fresh fragrance
In your rock garden it can also smell nice, thanks to the lavender! He likes a dry location, lots of sun and is extremely easy to care for, robust and hardy. Stone and gravel in the ground can not disturb its growth. So, the lavender is just perfect for the rock garden. In addition to its soothing fragrance, it delights us with its flowers in a delicate bluish-purple hue. And do not forget it, the lavender is one of the medicinal plants that you have to have outside in the garden!
Do you know the soothing scent of lavender?
Clove (Dianthus sylvestris) – This undemanding perennial belongs in the rock garden
The Clove is also known under the name Polster- or Heidenelke. In the wild, the plant is best distributed in the heathlands of Europe and Asia. She is hardy and drought tolerant. The Clove is one of the fastest-growing perennials. It prefers sunny locations and is suitable as a ground cover in the rock garden. Their pink flowers spread quickly and show their splendor from July to September. She is totally undemanding, but serves successfully as a real eye-catcher in the garden.
Ideas for colorful garden design
Balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus) – small spheres that soon turn into balloons
Our next favorite is also a typical perennial plant. The balloon flower bears this name because of the balloon-like shape of its flower buds. These are usually colored in purple-blue and introduce a fresh note in every garden. The balloon flower likes sunny locations with nutrient-rich soil and grows up to 50 cm high. The perennial is easy to care for, but regular watering is good for her. Avoid any waterlogging, this can be deadly for the roots of the balloon flower. From the end of July to late autumn, they are in bloom and during these months, this rock garden plant will be an attractive change in your rocky garden landscape.
Typical rock garden plant – the balloon flower shows her little balls
Red Clover (Anthyllis) – the most popular rock garden flower
Another shrub that adds color to your rock garden is the Red Clover. He is again easy to care for, hardy and persistent. Red Clover prefers a sunny spot and calcareous soil. The perennial easily gets used to dryness and fits perfectly into the rock garden. Its heyday is from late June to early September. The whitish, yellow or red colored flowers attract everyone’s attention.
Red Witch Clover is always eyecatching in the rock garden
Carpet phlox (Phlox subulata) – the perfect groundcover in the rock garden
Last but not least, we would like to introduce you to the best ground cover among the blooming rock garden plants – the carpet phlox. This perennial is also known as Polsterphlox. The plant offers a beautiful plantation in the garden, because it spreads quickly and looks like a colorful carpet on the garden surface. The Polsterphlox is the ideal rock garden plant, because he needs a lot of sun and little water. Its flowers show up in spring and enchant us with their variety of colors – they are dyed in delicate snow-white, sweet pink or bright red tones and the color palette reaches to blue and violet. This is a real eye-catcher, which you would rather not do without in your own rock garden.
With the carpet phlox you can reach an unusual plantation in your own rock garden
Which of our favorites do you like best? Or do you want to have all 6 in your rocky landscape? All these blooming rock garden flowers add color to your stony garden design and do your eyes and senses well!
Bring some more color to your rock garden!
Choose colorful and long-flowering rock garden plants!
