Using Stone in the Garden

Every landscape needs a good rock or two. And here at Northwind Perennial Farm we have lots of examples.

Since boulders erupt from the ground and not fall from the sky, they look best when half of the stone is buried or visually anchored to the landscape with plants.

Use stone as an edge, to create waterfalls, and hide the mechanics of water features. Here the rock, along with the plantings, help nestle this pond and waterfall into the surrounding landscape.

And this boulder is purposely placed to provide a seat to sit, relax, and meditate in this beautiful space. Stone has long been used to create raised garden beds - elevating the plantings for greater impact and easier access.

A dry riverbed lined with stone gives the illusion of a river while providing an attractive way to manage excess water during wet periods.

A bit more information: Use flagstone, a flat durable stone, for walkways or steppers through the lawn or groundcover. Surround steppers in hot dry locations with thyme for a bit of fragrance or low growing sedum for color and texture. Or add a few colorful alyssum along side your steppers and mixed with perennial groundcovers for seasonal color and fragrance.