A gravel garden is a very modern and particularly easy-care alternative to the traditional garden because it allows gardening in a dry location. A lush, green garden needs, first and foremost, regular and sufficient watering. But one of the biggest disadvantages of the rock garden is that sometimes it just looks and feels “dry”. How to create a beautiful garden with much less water? Here are some of the best tips for evoking the look and feel of water in the landscape,without using much of it. With the right planning, a water-saving gravel garden can also look very attractive.
Gravel Garden Ideas: Create a flowing sea of ornamental grasses
The swaying movement of a large number of ornamental grasses, reminiscent of sea waves, gives the garden a feeling of life and rhythm. Choosing the right plants makes the illusion even better. Mexican feather grass (Very thin nacelle), also known as angel hair feather grass, is the type of grass most commonly used to achieve this effect.
Is it possible to have a beautiful garden without mowing the lawn?
Lay out a green lawnclump-forming ornamental grassesto. These lawns require no mowing and have a shimmering, rich green color that makes them look like they get plenty of water. In fact, they can thrive with almost no water. The tufts move gently in the wind like water waves across the surface of a lake and have a natural appearance. Many gardeners recommend a mixture of the varieties for dry soilsRed fescue, Western fescueandFestuca idahonensis.
Plant “spiller” plants in containers
If we think about the classic “Thriller, Filler and Spillers” recipePlanting large containersthink, the spiller is often there to cover the side of the pot. Hanging plants can create the illusion of a waterfall. Drought-tolerant plants that grow hanging include silver rain (Dichondra argentea 'Silver Falls'), pea plant (Senecio rowleyanus) and grasses such as Japanese sedge (Carex morrowii).
Gravel Garden Ideas: Use succulents for an “under the sea” look
Plants with a whimsical shape or fantastic foliage or color can create a magical underwater mood. Succulents are particularly suitable for this. Even better, they make wonderful plants for a gravel garden. Try shell-shaped desert cabbage (Kalanchoe thyrsiflora), rosette-shaped echeverias to mimic corals, Senecio serpens for sea anemones, and the aptly named octopus agave (Agave vilmoriniana). If the succulents are planted in containers, they can be brought indoors for the winter.
Create a dry stream
Dry stream bedscan be built for purely aesthetic reasons, or they can capture rainwater from downspouts and direct the water into a rain garden. Before finalizing your garden design, pay attention to how rainwater flows naturally through your garden. For the shape of the dry baking run, take inspiration from the way the water gently snakes around obstacles like trees and rocks and the way it puddles in low places. Larger stones on the edges of the stream bed should be partially buried to create a more natural look. However, make sure there is a clear separation between the stone bed and the planting area. Aggressive grass can quickly disrupt a dry stream bed.
Create a little oasis
In the Persian tradition, gardens were built around a symbolic representation of water that provided cooling, at least visually, on the hottest day. Even something as simple as a birdbath, a copper bowl, or a galvanized steel storage tank filled to the brim with water gives the impression that there is an abundance of water, even if that is not true. To make maintenance easier, we recommend a circulation well in which the water is recirculated using a pump.
Or create an illusion of water through mirrors
Water is a natural mirror. Imagine yourself as a silent onePond reflects the sky. You can stage a body of water using a round or rectangular mirror that is placed flat on the ground. To try this trick, you should prepare the soil by digging a few inches deeper and creating a bed of sand as a base for your mirror. Arrange different sized river rocks around the edges of the mirror to cover the corners of the mirror. Then plant “in the riparian zone” low-growing plants such as Douglas iris (Iris douglasiana), blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum) and small-flowered purple bell (Heuchera micrantha).
Low-water gardens: Use resources consciously
These gravel garden ideas are a beautiful example of how it is possible to bring the symbolic and aesthetic power of water into your garden without using large amounts of it. No matter where you live, whether you are threatened by drought or blessed with abundant rain, the...Designing a water-saving gardenis about respecting the value of water. It's about using water wisely and sparingly and honoring the place you live by creating a garden that belongs there.
