Hardscape Gardening

I have looked at lots of Dave Stuff and have not run across anyone focusing on different and creative Hardscape additions. Maybe here in Montana because of all the rocks I'm the only one interested but I would like to see your creative hardscape items. Also some description would be interestering. IE I have placed large amounts of large bolders in my garden and it makes winter a great view even when there is no color. I have 5 sets of rock groups representing each major pass through Montana and the mountains inbetween. IE Canadian Rockies , Glacier Park Rockies, Bob Marshall Rockies, and so far Bozeman Group. In each bed I have placed plant species that are prevelant in each pass. Of course I have lots of non-native species, but it helps my wife and I discuss different planting beds when we discuss changes or developing garden highlights. The enclosed picture is of the Glacier Park grouping. In the back of the group is a native species of Juniper ground hugging bush seen a lot in the approach to "Going to the Sun Hwy". Please note these were purchased from one of the many sources of native nurseries in our area.

Wow - that is amazing. It is very professional looking. Did you do that all on your own? Did you purchase the rocks or are they from your property?

ps..I'd love to see the other groupings too!

Ditto, I'd love to see the others too. I especially like how you have incorporated the rock "sculptures" into the gaden. I find gardens that have themes to be very interesting and creative. In south Texas we only have rocks that we've hauled in from some other place so they are treasures. My husband used to work on a dredge and they occasionally found some interesting rocks that he brought home. Oh well, "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence," I'm sure there are others who wish they didn't have all those darn rocks!

I have been getting "Rocks" from anywhere someone wants to get rid of them. Most are from the neighbors $30,000 foundation blow out. I had them deliver any interesting loads of rocks to our back yard. Of course it wrecked the yard but what an opportunity. I rented a big backhoe and placed all of the big ones in their place over a really fun weekend. We have 3 acres so lots of room to be creative. This next picture is one of the big rocks and I dug out a pond and it had a drill hole through it so it has a water fall. It is a memory garden for my recently lost jack russell "Sophie". The rock is viewed from our sun room so the heart shaped rock and heart shaped log slab keep our hearts with her. I don't know how to send more than one picture at a time so here goes.

Another beauty! I wish I had the room to do that kind of landscaping. Have you thought about submitting to a gardening magazine or an HGTV show?

Keep them coming - I can't wait to see more of your yard!

~Anita

Oh my, oh my. Just beautiful! I hope to do some "rock" hard-scaping too but the only rock I'm likely to have are those I make myself. Gonna try hypertufa-ing this spring. You've added to my ideas. Thank you.

Of course all of my rocks are hidden by the garden but tomorrow I'll take a winter picture to show all of each area. I especially like the rocks I have hauled from Great Falls. I work over there ofter the last few years and have brought back about a ton for each trip the last 7 years. I have used them to provide a mowing border around all of my garden beds so no string trimmer needed. All of the beds are bordered and this is just another area of the garden This is where a seed in my compost from a "squmpkin" started growing this summer and climbed the large fir tree. This is a common problem I have with growing giant pumpkins with squash. The tree is on the left of the picture the squash grew up over 9 ' and deposited a strange Hubbard like squmpkin. This area is the Bear Tooth Mountains. See the secret to gardening in Montana. Elk fence. Almost all of it is covered with vines. Primarily Virgina Creeper. The nice thing about growing this is the neighbors side is trimmed continually by the deer and elk.

This is a sculpture my daughter in art school designed. I'm sure she had other things in mind when she designed it but there is only one thing that everyone comments about when they encounter this one. I told my daughter (27) that I was going to plant 2 birds nest spruce at the base of this and she hit me. Ha Ha. I placed this on a large bolder that existed on the property. This is the upper aspect of my Floral water fall. The Anagalis "blue sky" make a perfect lake color at the top of the falls followed by the Wisteria (white) that cascade down the rock and are met at the bottom with Liatris (white) to make the 10'decent into my "to be" hot tub. The stream continues with California blue bells in the dry area of stream and then is continued to the bottom of the hill 200' with all the river rock I have hauled off the glacial moraine we live on. Making a dry stream bed that keeps me from having to evaporate lots of water in our dry summers.

Check this out, those of you with rock envy. :)

http://davesgarden.com/place/f/hypertufa/all/

-Joe

This is below the above statue. We currently sit here during summer sunsets and watch the dragon flies dart and feast on the white flies in the orange hue. Until we get a hot tub or other non-nature thing to wase our money on. Any ideas out there for this rock grotto?

Soferdig, Are the rocks you use for the border in the form that you got them or do you have to break them (chop or carve or whatever you do) to be the right size and/or shape? If you so, how do you do it? I'm amazed at what you've done with them

These are a sandstone laminate that exists in the old glacial retreats on the southern edge of the Wisconson Glacial sheet. Not quite rock but laminated to allow fragments to have one surface kind of flat. The non-flat side is burried in the soil and it looks all even. These are dug up by large backhoes when basements are put in and then dumped as fill in the next development in Great Falls. I go through and select and haul the best ones to take home on my next trip. I am working on trying to get mosses to grow with buttermilk beer and all kinds of mosses we have here that grow on large glacial dumps. Often in very dry enviroments. When I get the best one I'll then have something to market to people who want moss but don't have the moisture.

I absolutely love your garden!! Your sitting area might be nice with a small, stone fire pit? Perhaps a more natural style seating, wood or twig? Just thoughts from shows I had seen on HGTV.

Good idea anitabryk2 but I already have a big stone fire pit with rock seating. Karen and I so enjoy the grotto with the sunset and a glass of wine. I would like to have some sitting area, swing, Arbor, or whatever. Keep up with ideas I want this area to be special. This is the dry stream bed below our grotto.