10 plants that are perfect for a rock garden
Rock gardens are a beautiful placed in any green area: they require less maintenance than a traditional lawn or flowerbed, especially in terms of water consumption, and are therefore are much easier to maintain. However, they do not detract from the beauty of the landscape - on the contrary: they can become a stage for combinations of plants that can enchant us almost all year round.
Suitable plants for rock gardens can be ground cover types, grasses, succulents and more. There are many options and they all look beautiful. Check out the possibilities below!
Iberis sempervirens
This plant resists drought and moderately cold winter temperatures, eventually thinning out but not dying. In spring, they are amongst the first flowers to bloom, creating truly beautiful, white cushions. They love the sun and don't need excessive watering.
Phlox (Phlox subulata)
This plant loves fresh and bright places, but not being exposed to direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day. Also often used for lawns and to decorate the space between paving stones, they are also perfect when place amongst the boulders of a rock garden. The flowers tend to be pink or fuchsia, and add a gorgeous splash of color!
Wall ivy (Cymbalaria muralis)
Walking around outdoors, you will frequently see this plant with its green, fleshy, trilobed leaves dotted with small flowers that almost look like mini orchids. In fact, wall ivy (aka common ciombolino) manages to grow even in the cracks of walls and pavements: perfect for rock gardens!
Persicaria capitata (or Polygonus capitata)
Creativo
This plant is a fast-propagating ground cover, with variegated leaves and lovely ball-shaped light pink flowers, which appear in the spring. It may die in the winter cold, but it reseeds itself so easily that you will always have it around.
False spotted nettle (Lamium maculatum)
This plant is often treated as a weed, perhaps due to its resemblance to nettles. But the common lamium does not sting and produces very beautiful flowers in spring, as well as having leaves that turn purple in the sun. Furthermore, pollinating insects are fond of this plant, making it a precious resource for our ecosystems. There are also many species of lamium, with leaves and flowers of various colors and are also very suited for growing in rock gardens.
Delosperma
Very decorative, this beautiful ground cover plant quickly fills all the available space, especially in rock gardens. It loves sunny locations and can tolerate short periods of frost.
Lesser periwinkle (Vinca minor)
From early spring to summer, this climbing plant produces blue-lilac flowers (there are also white or pink varieties) and is among the perennial herbaceous plants that spread most easily in the environment. It can also grow in shade or partial shade, but will produce more flowers when exposed to the sun for four to five hours a day.
Wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
A dense carpet of leaves throughout the year, and thicker in the summer, wild thyme is also excellent as ground cover for rock gardens. It is covered in small pink or reddish flowers which makes it really beautiful in spring.
Aquilegia chrysantha (Columbine)
There are so many types of Columbine, and almost all of them are great in a rock garden. The A. chrysantha variety could be preferable if you want to a splash of yellow: the flowers resemble stars and can grow from 30 to 80 cm tall!
Blue fescue
This plant is a variety of grass and has wafer-thin leaves which create round, dense cushions, in a lovely silvery blue. It's perfect to mix with rocks and other flowers!
Which combinations of plants do you like the most?
