Perennials For Your Rock Garden

A well-designed rock garden, with rocks and soil arranged in tiers, offers excellent drainage for small plants that might otherwise struggle with winter and spring moisture.

Position rocks to ensure plants receive maximum sunlight and avoid shading from trees.

Incorporate perennials and small spring bulbs like Crocus, Snowdrop, and Winter Aconite, and consider adding dwarf evergreens to maintain year-round interest in your rock garden. Dwarf Spruce, Yew, and Hemlock are excellent choices and widely available.

Sedum

Sedum is a crucial component of any rock garden. With numerous varieties available and many more possible, sedums offer a wide range of flowering options from early summer to late fall, including colors such as pink, red, white, and yellow. Beyond their flowers, their vibrant and varied foliage makes them an essential addition to any rock garden.

HENS AND CHICKENS

Another important rock garden plant, Sempervivum has fleshy rosettes of foliage with the mother plant surrounded by many small plantlets. These can be detatched and planted in another spot.

FOLIAGE PLANTS

There are many named varieties, all with interesting colourful leaves. They include:

Moss Campion – Silene Schafta
Blue-eyed Grass – Sisyrinchium
Lamb’s Ears – Satchys
Germander – Teuchrium

THYME

Many varieties of Thyme are available. All are flowering plants but are valued more for their foliage ñ in shades of green, plus gray, gold and silver.

VERONICA & VIOLA

Many small Violet-Viola, Veronicas, or Speedwells are available, including creeping varieties.

GRASSES

The smaller, clump-forming (non-invasive) grasses add great charm and quite a different touch in a rock garden. Recommended ñ Blue Fescue varieties, Tuberous  Oat Grass, Blue Oat Grass, June Grass (Koeleria), plus grass-like plants such as Sedges (Carex) and Wood Rush (Luzula).

ROCK GARDEN PERENNIALS A-Z