Finishing Touches in the Garden

Rocks in the garden are the equivalent of mascara for blond eyelashes. (Note: This is the opinion of a strawberry blond that is seldom seen outside her neighborhood without mascara.) Rocks make elements in the garden stand out ... and they add a little magic. Prior to last year, I had two rocks in my garden. Now they define entry points onto paths, define space, add water elements, act as stepping stones in my mushy grass (I can now traverse my garden without muddy feet even in the wettest of weather) and provide seating in the form of a semi-circular rock wall. I dream of lining my gravel paths and beds with them, too. I have books filled with ways to use rocks in the garden, and Pinterest offers lots of inspiration. The use of rocks is virtually limitless in a garden setting. If I had three wishes from a genie, I very likely would use one of them to make rocks weigh less. Moving the darn things is probably the biggest obstacle to using more of them. Do rocks play an important role in your garden?

Three basalt columns. On with still water; the other two with bamboo spouts.

One of my all time favorite fountains.

Rock as an eye-catching mulch.

Perhaps easier than building a short wall? Photo: Pinterest

Mary-Kate Mackey created her own alpine scree where dwarf conifers and Lewisia thrive.

Loose Mexican pebbles (with concrete keystone) add color and stature to my garden's gate.

Rocks aid in managing stormwater runoff. From a courtyard designed by Steven Koch, FASLA.

Rock as art - painted green and used as sculpture in this case. Michael Schultz designed this garden.

Hosting a miniature gazebo. How adorable is that?!?! Photo: Pinterest

This looks like the fantastic work of Jeffrey Bale. Photo: Pinterest

A magical mix of stones. Photo: Pinterest

Photo: Pinterest

A rock "chair" in the dry stack wall.