
A drainage problem is solved with a rock garden evoking a dry stream bed. Only a few choice plantings will be required to complement this garden.
Visual interest in a rock garden is often provided by contrasts in color and texture in both the foliage and stone.
Wind anemones (Anemone blanda) stand out against the gravel. The glossy leaves belong to creeping phlox (Phlox subulata).
Hens-and-chickens (Sempervivum tectorum) are originally from Europe. One may find them growing on house roofs in the Italian Alps. "tectorum" means "of-the-roofs" in Latin.
The cascading habit of these plants mostly hides the short stonewall along which they are planted. Many herbs can be used ornamentally in this fashion. Here are planted woolly thyme and golden oregano, as well as snow-in-summer (Cerastium tomentosum).
Many common garden perennials have shorter varieties that do well in the rock garden. Here a dwarf aster provides late season color in the rock garden.