There are plenty of options open to us these day to achieve an amazing rock garden if we put our minds to it. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Scree:

A scree in nature is a plot of land containing loose rock on the bottom of a gully or cliff. Small stones predominate, but there are often some sizable boulders included. With this competition-free environment a variety of splendid alpines might flourish, and there are actually ways through which a scree could potentially be created as part of your own garden.

The most satisfactory method is to dig out a strip of soil from a well, shade free part of your rock garden - ideally this needs to be between large stones and widen out as it descends. Inside this dug-out area place an 8 inch layer of scree compost ( one part top soil, one part peat or leaf-mold and 3 parts of grit or gravel ). Another place to locate a scree is at the boundary between a lawn and a rock garden. Use an edging to keep the tiny stones off the grass. Where a rockery is absent you can still build a scree bed in a sunny spot in the garden. Remove soil from an area and fill it with an 8 inch layer of broken bricks or stones topped with a 2 inch layer of coarse sand or gravel. Add an 8 inch layer of scree compost to bring the level to the surface.

When planting, shake off as much compost as you can from the roots, when planting is finished place a 1 inch layer of chippings to cover the surface but under the leaves. A quantity of small stones bedded into the area around the plants will improve the appearance of the scree. Suggested plants include Aethionema, Erodium, Penstemon, Phlox and Silene.

Raised Bed:

This is an increasingly popular way of growing rock garden plants, easier, cheaper and less space-demanding than a rockery. A height of three feet is suggested and the retaining walls can be made with bricks, stone, reconstituted stone or railway sleepers. Where space permits, an upper terrace or a series of terraces can be built on the bed to bring about extra interest and a place for trailing plants. Clear away any perennial weeds before you begin, and lay a concrete foundation if the walls are to be more that 1 ft. high. Provide weep-holes at the base if mortar-bonded bricks, blocks or stones are the building material.

When the walls are finished, add a layer of bricks, rubble or stones if the soil below isn't free draining. Cover with grit and fill with standard planting mixture. Leave a 2 inch space between the surface and the top of your retaining wall and wait a few weeks before introducing the plants. Top up if necessary. Choice and planting techniques are the same as for the rock garden.

The use of trailing types of plants to partially cover the top of the retaining walls is especially important. Cover the soil with a 1 inch layer of stone chippings - the use of larger stones is a matter of personal taste but they are an aid to plant growth because the plants themselves can grow over the rocks and result in a wonderful look.