Advice for Alpine Rockery

randombar

So I have my robotic mower now a few months, must say one of the best buys I've made, fantastic.


I've identified some areas of the garden that it can't cut and I've moved the guide wire to suit.


One area it can't cut I'd like to do something else with as I want to avoid as much grass cutting as possible and it's nice to do something different.


You can see the non cut grass section here.


https://www.dropbox.com/s/sltoah12shymm1q/Screenshot%202020-10-08%20at%2013.47.53.png?dl=0


I'm thinking of closing off the area with railway sleepers (I have a few spare) and creating an alpine rockery or something low maintenance like that. Ideally maybe add in a solar powered water feature of some kind.


I'm just wondering what people think? Is it a crazy idea? Are there alternatives? Has anyone else done the same?

looksee

Thats a very nice area. Which bit are you intending to change? Is it the slope in the foreground with the area in front and behind mowed? Or all the area to the woodland?

Whichever, a rockery, and especially an alpine rockery is not a low maintenance option. If it is just the little slope we are talking about it is not really big enough for a rockery. You might consider terracing the two areas with a small stone wall where the slope is. Or indeed use the sleepers to create a step, maybe cut up and standing on end as a single sleeper would not be deep enough.

The other issue is that the area faces either due east or west depending on the time of day the pic was taken, with the sun behind the trees. There is a lot of shadow and possibly not the most suitable for rockery plants, though there are plenty of other plants that would fill the area.

Could you be a bit more specific about which area you want to fill and which will remain as grass?

One option would be to plant 'understory' size shrubs and small trees in front of the tree line and turn the area into a loose, casual shrubbery. Some Japanese Maples, Amelanchiers and small azaleas - depending on your soil type - would be lovely.

randombar

looksee wrote: »

Thats a very nice area. Which bit are you intending to change? Is it the slope in the foreground with the area in front and behind mowed? Or all the area to the woodland?

Whichever, a rockery, and especially an alpine rockery is not a low maintenance option. If it is just the little slope we are talking about it is not really big enough for a rockery. You might consider terracing the two areas with a small stone wall where the slope is. Or indeed use the sleepers to create a step, maybe cut up and standing on end as a single sleeper would not be deep enough.

The other issue is that the area faces either due east or west depending on the time of day the pic was taken, with the sun behind the trees. There is a lot of shadow and possibly not the most suitable for rockery plants, though there are plenty of other plants that would fill the area.

Could you be a bit more specific about which area you want to fill and which will remain as grass?

One option would be to plant 'understory' size shrubs and small trees in front of the tree line and turn the area into a loose, casual shrubbery. Some Japanese Maples, Amelanchiers and small azaleas - depending on your soil type - would be lovely.

Sorry I should have been more clear, looking to change the front unmowed slope rather than the back. I need the mowed area next to the tree line to remain for the mower to travel between front and back garden.



Picture taken about 1 or 2 so kinda north facing I guess?

looksee

I would not consider a rockery if it is north facing. Some of the shrubs I mentioned plus ferns would look lovely and would be happy in shade. I would suggest you either cut into the slope and put in a little stone wall, or make the slope a bit wider and less steep and put in shrubs, ferns, shade plants in a long, hopefully curving bed.

randombar

The only issue I have with a curving bed / shrubs is the maintenance / weeding involved. Not a huge area I know but I really hate weeding.

looksee

Well if you don't like weeding you absolutely should not have a rockery! Weeding a shrub bed is one thing, weeding a rockery is tedious.

randombar

looksee wrote: »

Well if you don't like weeding you absolutely should not have a rockery! Weeding a shrub bed is one thing, weeding a rockery is tedious.

I was thinking of a stone base on the rockery.


https://www.dropbox.com/s/9k101e40vyudj9b/Screenshot%202020-10-08%20at%2021.00.22.png?dl=0


https://www.dropbox.com/s/dzbnu7gv31tq1e9/Screenshot%202020-10-08%20at%2021.00.14.png?dl=0

Reckless Abandonment

Google crevice Gardens. I'm itching to build one. But as looksee says the more sun the better.

rje66

rje66 wrote: »

This is one I did at my mums, looked great after a year. Needs a bit of care though. The bank is steep and faces a window.

randombar

rje66 wrote: »

rje66 wrote: »

This is one I did at my mums, looked great after a year. Needs a bit of care though. The bank is steep and faces a window.

That’s what I was thinking all right. Some dpc underneath etc?

rje66

GaryCocs wrote: »

rje66 wrote: »

That’s what I was thinking all right. Some dpc underneath etc?

Mypex

looksee

rje66 wrote: »

GaryCocs wrote: »

Mypex

Nooooo. Life is too short to put weed membrane on a rockery.