I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, and stopped for a little bit to pay tribute to those who have sacrificed so much for our country. Weather-wise, it was beautiful–perfect gardening weather. Today, not so much. I am typing this post on my patio, it’s 52 degrees and I am wearing a puffer vest with a merino wool baselayer– #springinbuffalo.

No matter, we deal and get through. I was lucky to get my gardening done, for the most part, last weekend, as I knew we would be camping for the holiday. I like to “experiment” in the garden, without it looking too tacky. I had a solar bird bath that I recently got rid of because it was falling apart. I had put these nice white rocks around it, to add a different look or texture to this particular area of the flower bed.

Now that the bird bath is gone, I decided I wanted to keep the rocks, but maybe add some plants that are for a rock garden. I purchased two, and my daughter surprised me with a couple more that she bought with her grandmother.

I have to admit I was not sure exactly of what I wanted, so I did some research and bought these different, yet interesting specimens:

The first and second pictures are different varieties of sedum, a type of succulent, which quite honestly I love. They are so hardy, unique and come back every year.

Picture #1 – Tricolor Sedum

Picture #2 – Aeonium

Succulents:

• Have fleshy, thick stems that retain water. These plants are made for dry, arid climates,
• Which means they are very good for rock gardens.

Picture #3 is a blue fescue. I tried to start these by seed a few years ago, but unfortunately they did not take. This is a visually stunning specimen and recommended for rock garden/ rocky areas. I am hoping this does well in this particular spot, because they need part sun, and this happens to be the best place in my garden for these types of plants.

You do not need a lot to start a rock garden, but if you would like to REALLY get serious about it, you can research some unique garden plans.

So, here are my quick tips for a rock garden:

• Rocks
• Plants of your choice
• Gardening tools (trowel, shovel, wheelbarrow)
• Enjoy!

I literally poured a bag of rocks out and went from there. Maybe some day when I get more rocks to enclose my beds, I will be able to get a little more fancy, but until then, have fun, experiment, and rock out your garden!