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How to Cascade Flowering Plants for a Rock Wall
How to Cascade Flowering Plants for a Rock Wall. Cascading rock garden plants thrive where others cannot. An ugly retaining wall, an unsightly slope or a steep hillside can be turned into a vibrant focal point of dramatic color and eye-catching appeal by establishing perennial plants to cascade and cover unattractive areas in the landscape.
Cascading rock garden plants thrive where others cannot. An ugly retaining wall, an unsightly slope or a steep hillside can be turned into a vibrant focal point of dramatic color and eye-catching appeal by establishing perennial plants to cascade and cover unattractive areas in the landscape.
Things You'll Need
Perennial rock garden plants suited for your garden zone.
Shovel
Potting soil
Organic compost
Mulch
Planing Your Rock Garden
Choose perennial plants that are low growing and clumping. Plants that cascade to create a draping effect in the rock garden include Basket of Gold, ivy, alyssum and rock cress, Rockfoil and Creeping Broom. Irish Moss, Lewisia, Moss Pink and Ice Plants are well adapted to the rock garden, filling in bare spots and growing in cascading mounds to add dramatic color and scent to the garden. Mat Daisy and lemon thyme quickly fill in bare spots in the rock garden.
Provide good drainage. Plants suitable for rock gardens require well-drained soil. Mix organic matter into clay soils to improve texture and drainage.
Plant a wide variety of species. Repeat some plants several times to help make the garden look natural.
Do not over-plant. Rock garden plants need space to spread to form cascading clumps.
Water frequently. Rock gardens with correct drainage dry out quickly in the summer sun. To encourage growth, water twice weekly.
Tips & Warnings
Ground-cover sedum is a low creeping plant, ideal for along walls or in rock gardens.
