Family Activity Ideas: Building A Rock Garden

The world is tailor-made and barber-made, as the saying goes. But, to add another dimension to it, it is also artist-made. All that it takes to artistically modify even the most mundane things in the space that surrounds us is a yen for creativity – and a vision.

A vision that the entire family can share is, of course, the best kind. Allow me to guide you through one such vision. How about creating a rock garden? Some basic logic, planning and aesthetics are all that it takes.

Rock gardening is among the simplest forms of landscaping, and making one can indeed be a family project. You, the parents, are the organizers and financial planner, but you can involve your children right from the inception stage to the long-term maintenance of this rock garden.

So take them along while shopping for the tools, soil, plants and other peripherals, encourage them to ask questions, buy them books on plants and research the Internet for a few interesting sites on rock gardening with them.

The Basics

There are two types of rock gardens – Western and Oriental. Not surprisingly, the Western rock garden is all about the importance of man’s dominion over nature. While the basic principles of layout, plants, color scheme remain the same, there are also a lot of artificial accessories like fountains and maybe even waterfalls involved.

Oriental rock gardens are heavily influenced by the Japanese and Chinese cultures. They are all about the importance of nature’s dominion over man and reflect a philosophical component – in other words, they need to mirror serenity and sublimeness. Like Ikebana, Oriental rock gardening have strong Zen influences.

Okay, back to how you and your kids can join hands to make a rock garden – whichever type suits you. Like any other creative project, setting up a rock garden must keep certain basic criteria in mind:

Your Budget

The project has to be planned according to a budget that factors in the cost of the soil, the plants, the accessories and – most importantly – the rock garden’s maintenance.

Regular maintenance may or may not require professional assistance, depending on how large and elaborate the rock garden is. If it does, allocate a certain monthly expense for it.

The Soil

You are advised not to depend on the soil you already have in your backyard, or wherever you intend to put the rock garden. A basic layer of sand and gravel is essential for good drainage, and so that grass can grow in this area.

Building a rock garden can be a fun and lifetime family project

Layout And Landscape

The space available for the rock garden should dictate its layout and the landscaping involved. The size, shape and the location of the garden (backyard/front yard corner, centre of your terrace?) will obviously influence the layout.

Plants And Rocks

Once the above details are worked out, you need to decide on the plants you want in your rock garden. Yes, a good rock garden does not consist of strategically-placed rocks alone – they need a pleasing framework of plants to showcase them to best advantage.

Decide on the kind of foliage you feel would best achieve this, and choose your plants accordingly. Consider their light and water requirements, and also their growth time – whether they are fast or slow-growing will affect the maintenance aspect of the rock garden.

The seasonal nature of plants is also an important fact to consider – remember that a certain amount of foliage is necessary as a background, irrespective of the season. Adhere to a color scheme.

The placements of rocks will depend on their sizes, the available space and whether you are planning a flat or raised layout. For a flat layout, it is a good idea to start placing the rocks from inside to outside. Different sizes and, if possible, different shades will add an additional touch of class.

Accessories

At your discretion, and depending on your budget – but accessories like lights, fountains and statues do enhance the look of a rock garden.

You and your kids can have a lifetime of fun and bonding over this little project, so involve them right from the start and listen to their inputs. Sometimes, we are set in our thinking and our kids can add new and interesting dimensions to this project.

Let them play with the mud, help with the rock arrangement and planting and you will have hooked them. Apart from contributing to their overall skill development, you get to spend extremely high quality time with your little ones.

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Additional resources:

Japanese Gardens Made Easy! – Easy step by step guide to make you own Japanese Garden, with pictured sample garden designs. Experience the tranquility and peace of a Japanese Zen garden in your own backyard.
Homeowner’s Guide To Landscaping – Guides you every step of the way, from creating a base plan to choosing plants and trees and landscaping for energy savings. Discover the joy and beauty of having a wonderfully landscaped yard. Organize and developing your yard for maximum use and pleasure, create a visual relationship between the house and the site and reduce landscape maintenance to a practical level.
The Complete Gardening System – A massive gardening course that will transform your garden and home and help to increase the value of your home. Downloadable course materials including Audio.