What plants for my new rock garden?

Hi all, newbie here seeking advice on what to do with my new rock garden.
I'm reaching the end of my garden levelling project and have a steep north-east facing bank in which I hope to plant colourful ground-covering low maintenance plants between and around the rocks (asking too much?!?). We are in central Scotland and the orientation means little/no direct sunlight, although the bank is well sheltered. The soil is on the sandy/gravelly side of good, so will presumably drain well. The first photo shows the blank canvas, and the second shows my dream... Any advice would be gratefully received (though I'm hopeless at these latin names so please be gentle!

 

Er, I hate to say it, but those rocks look a bit like currants in a cake. They need to be used more like the wall which looks really good. They also need to be a lot more buried than they are. The first good rain on that will wash them down. Sorry. Look at the way the rocks are used in your dream photo for inspiration.
Bit difficult for plant ideas as most alpine prefer a sunny spot. If you are anywhere near Edinburgh Botanic Garden go and look at their Rock gardens. Ask the people at Edrom Nursery or Kevock or one of the other great Scottish plant suppliers.

 

Welcome to GC Halitosis. A good start is to take a look at member 'Kindredspirit's' thread below........

http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/alpines-piccies-of.50128/

Most nurseries have a good assortment of alpines and rockery plants, perhaps you can find one close by to look around. I have sandy soil so use some of these type of plants for edging a two tier partially shaded bed.

Here are some images of plants to give you ideas......

https://www.bing.com/images/search?...mages&qpvt=rockery+plants+uk+images&FORM=IGRE

 

Thanks both.
Palustris - believe it or not those rocks are semi-buried. Most are at least 12" front to back (with flat top surfaces) so short of subsidence or a burst water main I think they're stable. I accept your point about placing though - perhaps more random clusters? I don't want to build a second terrace/wall.
Thanks for your advise Sheal - I'll head to the local garden centres at the weekend (just wanted to have a vague understanding beforehand)

 

Hi @Halitosis plenty of hard work gone into that prep i think thats gonna look super when planted up cant wait to see the finished result
Hope these links might be of some use too i especially love the look of this first link
http://www.hgtv.com/design/outdoor-design/landscaping-and-hardscaping/make-a-shady-rock-garden

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=837

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=838

Shade-loving/ shade-tolerant alpine and rockery plants

​

A few rockery plants and alpine plants do best in shade. These are often the plants that grow on the north and east side of mountains.



Ajuga, Aquilegia, Brunnera, Campanula, Cyclamen, Epimedium, hardy ferns, Lysimachia, Omphalodes, Pulmonaria, Soldanella, Tellima, Tiarella, Vinca and Viola are just some of the shade tolerant alpine plants and rockery plants that you can grow.

Great to have such a lovely project ....So to GC and happy gardening from me

 

Personally, I would be tempted to pop a few ferns in there, DRYopteris all do well in free draining soil as well as not being too fussy about aspect.

Campanula poscharskyana 'E.h. Frost' does well in shady spots and it will spread too, is easily divided and is well suited to the look you are aiming for.

If you can incorporate some ericaceous compost to help with moisture retention, then why not try some meconopsis lingholm which are short lived perrenials. Not the prettiest of plants, but the flowers are stunning and can be grown from self-collected seed too.

 

Looks like a nice spot though difficult to know what scale it is and what the dimensions are from the photo. Agree with @Palustris that it does need the rocks being moved, as you say more random clusters, then they will more reflect your dream photo which has a naturalistic look.

Some excellent suggestions already. I'd also consider a few judicious anchor plants like a dwarf conifer or two, some of the dwarf pines and junipers for instance would be suitable, giving both structure and height variation (there are plenty which grow only to a foot or two when mature). Ferns, as already mentioned, would be perfect.

Lots of suggestions already given, but also you might want to consider some of the hardy geraniums (cranesbills) which have a longish flowering period and can thrive in part shade. Also, I'd consider Dicentra Eximia (dwarf bleeding heart), dwarf Astilbe, Corydalis (there are some short ones). Bulbs if you like them may be nice, a couple of nice small clumps of miniature Iris or miniature narcissus.

If you want it as low maintance as possible I would avoid things that can easily become invasive and a bit of a nuisance like ivy, vinca major, ajuga. I'd also avoid some of the mosses which can be a thuggish.

Good luck, will look forward to progess pix.

GG

 

Wow - great here isn't it - so many helpful folk!

Dimensions-wise, the photo actually only shows half of the area - in total its approx 10m long and 3m deep (the wall is a little over 2 feet high).
I fear the plants are going to cost a lot, so I don't want to get it wrong!

 

Did not mean to sound over critical.
I would take the rocks you have and select those which look like each other and arrange them in groups of three, five or seven, so that they look like shattered single entity boulders. If I could draw I would show you what I mean. Leave small, about 1 to 2 inch wide gaps between the pieces. Bury the rocks even deeper than you have in the picture. Alpines love to have their roots wrapped round and in the vertical crevices between rocks.
Plant suggestions made are very good.

 

That's a nice area to develop. It is good to know the dimensions and good to plan with that in mind. There are rockery plants and rockery plants. Many the size of a small plate which are better suited to smaller rockeries which will probably just get lost in your rockery - place smaller ones that you want in prominent places towards the front of the rockery. And others which are effectively the size of small border plants.

With your size you have a great number of options and can include the larger rockery plants as well as suitable small border plants. Yes it may get expensive (but doesn't gardening always!). If you don't want to splash out all at once it might be an idea (once you have your rocks placed as you want), you can buy foundation plants (usually the biggest you will buy and more structural in size and shape) which will give you interest from the beginning. And then buy as you can afford.

Cheers
GG

 

Hellebores at the back maybe? Don't forget Erythronium as well.................




I've also found that Uvularia grandiflora grows happily enough in quite deep shade..............


The stones could be spaced out quite effectively by using grey stone chips as a ground cover to simulate mountain scree. Available from most garden centres.

I've found some of the perennial Geraniums invasive as well.

 

I think it's going to be very good. A very good start but I'd prefer to change the angle of the rocks before you start planting. You already have 5 rocks at an angle of 30°. I'd change all the rest of the rocks to lines at 30° as well, trying to copy rock stratum, which you see in nature. Horizontal looks a bit artificial and the same gap between all the rocks looks a bit too. Mind you, when all the plants have enveloped the space around and over the rocks you won't notice it so much. I'd still prefer to alter the orientation now, though.