I ’ll never consider attempting a rock garden again . Not after visit the superb spaces of Denver , Fort Collins , and Boulder , all part of a recentgarden bloggers ’ tripthat some of you may have wait on — or at least knew about . It ’s no admiration Denver does rocks well . The Rocky Mountains were seeable from almost every garden we come across .
newfangled to me were the fissure planting , discover at a individual garden in Fort Collins ( above ) . The thin slabs are localise vertically on last with flowering perennials , dwarf conifer , moss , and other plants rebound from the quad between them . Apparently , this technique come from the Czech Republic ( according to High Country Gardens ) . It channels H2O aside from plant crowns and determine soil around the roots ; scanty ancestor plant are recommended for it . You need a berm , the tilt , and the plants . I wo n’t be trying it .
Before that , we had visited theGardens of Spring Creek , which have an heroic rock garden sphere . And when I say rocks , I intend mammoth boulders a third as high as many of the shorter trees in these plantings . We were hit by all the columbine in these plantings , as well as by a stunning display of eriogonum umbellatum ( below ) .
lastly , theDenver Botanical Gardenshas alpine and steppe gardens ; both had big rocks , so I am not quite sure which I photographed , belike both . The image at the top of this post is distinctive of these dramatic planting , contrasting arid rock expanses with vivid , sometimes florescent plantings . Try this at home plate ? No way ! That ’s why we see it on trips .
I have attempted to use rocks in my mostly shady spaces . If they do n’t sink gently into the ground , never to be seen again — until I ’m trying to plant something and my shovel hits one — they just look like I could n’t get anything to grow in a sure space . I do have two large boulders in the front , placed there by a inspection and repair , which are mirthfully supported by the almost - rock - gruelling electronic web of maple origin below them ( one depict above , in give ) .
I also saw an endeavour at a crevice garden judicial writ small where the slab and plants were identify in a big pot . Nice enough .
Actually , after seeing all this , I do n’t even experience like I need a rock garden any more . I know where I can regain them .
