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Where and why would you use a rock garden design? When people think of a garden, images of flowers, trees and plants pop into their mind. Or, maybe even bushes and hedges, or a little fish pond and a bench. Very rarely do people think of a rock garden. A rock garden design, however, not only looks great but it can be practical as well.

Every yard has that awful area where everything refuses to grow. You've tried everything. Grass may grow there for a few days only to dry up and disappear. The flowers and plants wilt away after only a few days or weeks. There is always that spot of the yard where nature just refuses to cooperate. The rock garden design is the perfect solution for this situation. If you know what you are doing, a pile of rocks can be made up to make your once uncooperative area look elegantly beautiful.

Now, a good rock garden design isn't achieved by just throwing a pile of rocks down in some area. It's takes a bit of know-how and planning.

First of all, you need to be sure that your rock garden design will be able to stand up to the harshest of rain storms. This requires preparing the land so the water runs off properly. However, you'll want to prepare in a way so that the water doesn't take the rocks with it. The best approach is to make sure that water doesn't pool up on the area. You'll also want to be sure that any slope is not so steep that the soil beneath your rocks will erode.

Second, you don't just want to throw the rocks down in any old fashion. You want to be a little artistic. The rock garden design you choose will depend a lot on where the area for the garden is. Is it an isolated area? Is it near a tree? Is it flat, sloped or hilly? The terrain can be used for a starting point for your rock garden design. For example, a possible approach would be to make the rock look like it is part of a huge bolder most of which is underground.

Another cool rock garden design would be to choose two, three or four different kinds and colors of rocks and place them in some pattern that you enjoy. Geometric shapes are often nice, or you could tile it like a checkerboard.

Another rock garden design approach could be used to raise a sloped portion of your yard, usually called terracing, so it's level with the rest of your yard. With this approach, you would make a rock wall around the area that is sloped. The wall needs to be solid and sturdy, and both ends of the wall will meet up with the rest of the yard. Then you will in the area with good soil and plant grass.

Whatever you decide to do for a rock garden design is to plan carefully. If you do it right, you will rarely need to maintain it and it will give esthetic joy and pleasure for years to come.