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Creating a Rock Garden Emulating nature with a backyard rock garden. From "Rock Solid" episode DROC-209

(Continued from page 1)

Clearing the Slate

• You'll want to work with a cleared area of land, so remove any brush, bushes or undergrowth in the area where you'll be landscaping (figure A ). Use your shovel to dig the bushes out from the roots and use a strong set of shears to cut the branches (figure C).

  Rock Solid Tip: Using a leaf blower to clear the area of leaves and light vegetation will not only save you time, but your back as well.

  Figure A

  Figure B

  
  

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• Once the larger plant growth has been cleared, use a hoe to remove the smaller vegetation (figure C).

• An important step in clearing the slate is shaping it for the addition of stone, plants, and mulch. Your goal is to separate the lawn from the bed space by creating an edge using an edger (figure D). You want to make a deep edge, so that over time, any mulch or stone that does wash out goes into your edge and not onto your lawn.

  Figure C

  Figure D

  
  

  Figure E

• Once you've cleared the area that you will be landscaping (figure E), step back and start thinking about design. Dean, Derek, and Doug decide to create three stone focal points: a stepping stone walkway, a boulder-framed planting bed, and a simulated river. They will then bring in plants to accent the stone design features.
  

• Once you've decided on the design, mark it out with inverted marking paint (figures F and G). This will help you get a sense of how well the space flows. You can always redo your markings, so play around with the design features.

  Figure F

  Figure G

  
  
  
  

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  RELATED PROJECTS: Round Stone Planting Wall: Demolition of Old Wall/Prep Work Round Stone Planting Wall: Setting First Row of Stone Round Stone Planting Wall: Finishing the Wall/Capping Round Stone Planting Wall: Creating Granite Posts Quarry Tips, Part 1 Quarry Tips, Part 2 Stone Options Rock Garden Rock and Stone

  
  

  ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  	Creating a Rock Garden