An easy guide to making plans for planting rockery plants in your garden

  • Make drawing of the bed (to scale if possible). Draw in the cardinal points and the direction of any slope.

  • Using coloured paper, cut out the respective colour symbols for the different flowering colours and for various flowering times. The space required in the bed should be represented by the size of the symbols.

  • Write the plant names on the paper symbols.

  • Move the coloured pieces of paper around on the drawing until you have found the perfect positions for all the plants.

  • Glue the symbols to your drawing.

The planting plan should be done on a transparent envelope. It is also good practice to divide plants into leader plants, companion plants and filler plants. Rockery plants such as evergreen and autumn flowering species should be placed in the foreground.

Buying planting

Rockery plants can be obtained from plant nurseries and you will need to consider a number of factors before purchasing them. You must note the particular plant requirements first if they are going to flourish.

  • Only purchase plants with detailed labels. The labels will help you identify plant species and this in turn will help you care for the plants.

  • Do not purchase plants that have severe plant infestation with pests and diseases.

  • Do not purchase plants that will have been propagated in a pot full of weeds.

  • Do not purchase plants grown in peat compost as they will not be able survive in garden compost

Planting time

Rockery plants can be planted all year round. However you cannot plant them in cold winter when the ground is frozen or when it's too dry and hot. Spring and autumn are the best times to plant rockery plants. Rockery plants do not grow when propagated in very wet soils which are heavy.

How to plant?

Stand the rockery plants in a bath of water, allowing it to absorb water while it's still in the original pot. Plant the plants (while in the pot) over a well prepared rockery bed. Follow the planting plan that you well have made early, making corrections as you go.

Plant leader plants first, followed by companion plants and lastly fillers. The rockery plants should not be planted in rows; they should be planted together in loose groups of plants. Leave gaps between the plants of one variety and the other.

  • Carefully loosen up the rootstocks a little

  • Dig a large planting hole for each plant

  • Moisten the soil a little and then plant each plant

  • Gently press the soil down around the roots and irrigate thoroughly

  • Press the soil gently down again and ensure that the soil around the plant is kept moist at all times. However to not over irrigate and water logging is harmful to plants.