Landscaping Rock Gardens
A growing trend in landscaping is the addition of alternative gardens, including rock gardens. Using a little bit of creativity, rock gardens are a beautiful addition to any landscape and can serve many purposes.
An environmentally-conscious homeowner may choose to add a rock garden to help conserve water and lower his/her average water bill. This is because rock gardens are an excellent means by which to conserve water. As with other types of landscaping mulch, rocks, too, retain moisture. Whether water is applied naturally, such as through rainfall, or manually, such as through sprinkling systems, the water retention it supplies helps to reduce the overall amount of water needed. In regions where rainfall may be naturally or circumstantially minimal, such as in a drought-stricken area, the required applications of water will decrease when rock gardens are added.
Rock gardens are a creative way to add natural elements to a landscape to improve aesthetics. If the landscape lacks color, consider adding some through the choice of rock. Red rock is a great way to add some beauty to a healthy, but perhaps slightly mundane landscape. If the landscape is sufficiently colored and you believe the addition of more color may lessen its already aesthetically pleasing qualities, then a neutral-colored rock is a great choice. Browns, tans and blacks add a natural, earthy element to a rock garden that generally complements rather than negates.
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Rock gardens also make great use of a naturally organic material to improve trouble areas within a landscape. Some homeowners may choose to add rock gardens to bare areas in the landscape while others may choose to add rock gardens to areas that tend to retain too much water. Most realize that either extreme can do great harm to a landscape, and since most work hard to maintain the health of their landscape, treating trouble areas is an important step to maintaining health.
For bare areas, rock gardens may facilitate both the provision of water and the subsequent moisture retention the area needs to improve health. By contrast, strategically placed rocks of various sizes and textures may facilitate water runoff that not only prevents a single area from being water-logged, but also allows the water to perhaps disburse (runoff) to other areas that may be lacking. If attempts to correct bare or water-logged areas within your landscape have been successful and you're considering the addition of a rock garden, you can always contact an Austin tree trimming specialist, who is also knowledgeable in the improvement or maintenance of landscape health through the uses of rock gardens and other methods.
Lastly, and again using strategically placed rocks of various sizes and textures, rock gardens may be used as a creative way to change the natural slope of a landscape. For areas beneath the grade of a landscape, perhaps such as the site of a removed tree stump, the addition of a rock garden may serve to fill in and raise the grade to ground level. By contrast, for areas of the landscape a homeowner desires to be above grade level, the addition of a rock garden may serve to present a more alpine appearance.
If you are considering the addition of a rock garden to your landscape, contact an Austin tree care professional for assistance and guidance. His or her experience likely includes many ways to use rock gardens to improve the overall health and appearance of any Austin landscape.
About the Author: Andrew Johnson is the owner of Central Texas Tree Care, a leading provider of Austin tree service in Central Texas. Certified ISA Austin arborist services including: tree trimming, tree removal, tree care and oak wilt treatment. For more information on Austin tree service, please visit http://www.centraltexastreecare.com.
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Tags: Landscape, Landscaping