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A rockery or rock garden may be planted with tough resilient plants but that doesn’t
excuse you from regular maintenance. They will need to be regularly weeded as the
weeds won’t be of the dwarf variety and will soon smother the alpines. The plants
selected may be used to poor conditions in their natural environment but those bred
in captivity will need to be watered in drier weather, especially for the first year
of planting.
Regularly remove any dead flowers or leaves, and check regularly for signs of pest
infestation and disease. Top-dressings in the form of pebbles and gravel can be used
to reduce water loss and keep weeds at a minimum although the medium will occasionally
need replenishing as it becomes mixed in with the soil after rain and watering. In
really cold winters, some plants may need some additional protection with a clear
glass or perspex cover or similar. A clear plastic pot saucer will be ideal as
long as you prop it up on small rocks so that air can circulate. If you did decide
to put the rockery under a tree, and as it’s your garden so you can do so if you
want, remember to remove all the leaves as they fall in the autumn.
Once established, most alpines and rock garden plants will not need any additional
watering unless the weather is very dry. Check the soil - if it is dry to a depth
of an inch or so, sprinkle thoroughly until the soil is moist. Alpines in container
gardens will need more regular watering.
If you used a good compost with slow-release fertilizer when planting, you should
not need to feed the area for several years. However, once growth slows down and
flowers become less profuse, mix in a mixture of slow-release fertilizer and bone
meal around the plants each spring. When a plant become too large and untidy or has
deteriorated, dig out a pocket of soil and replenish with new compost.
Sterilised compost is preferred when when planting and as such you shouldn’t have
a major problem with weeds for a number of years. Remove any odd weeds that do appear
so that they don’t have chance to flower or set seed. Dig out and remove the roots
and not just the head.
The top-dressing applied to alpines and rockeries should complement the stones used.
Stone chippings or coarse grit are suitable for most situations. Avoid using limestone
chippings around lime-hating plants.
