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Having chosen your site and the appropriate size of rockery you would like your first consideration is the type of rock to use. The following are suitable suggestions.
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Yorkstone
A yellowish brown, angular sandstone that has been used for centuries in one form or another. The warm texture and appearance give a very friendly feel to a rockery.
1, 2
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Pink Granite
Angular, sharp and pink to red in interesting shades. A very tough stone that can make a strong statement.
1, 3, 9, 10
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Golden Quartzite
Pale to medium orange to brown with subordinate, contrasting pale grey and dark sepia-brown. A wonderful rock, rich in colour even when dry. Use indoors as well as out.
1, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10
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Limestone
An angular, mid to dark grey, limestone. This is a nice straightforward rockery stone.
5, 6, 9
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Thames Cream
A yellowish cream angular limestone. Slightly softer in appearance than Yorkstone, this rock will bring lightness and warmth to your rockery.
1, 2, 5
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Coppice Green
Subtly camouflaged, these greyish green, angular, granite blocks will blend gently into the planted areas and enhance the green colour. Like many of the more interesting rocks, there has been a metamorphism, this time by chloritisation.
5, 6, 8, 9
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The choice of which type of rock to use is a personal thing. There are no absolute rights or wrongs. The general advice is to use a rock that is most like the stone found locally and this would certainly be true for larger, more 'natural' rockeries. But if you really prefer something else then use it. As regards the overall look of the rockery the most important thing, of course, is how it is all put together - the size and the quality of the rocks, how they are arranged, the planting and the backdrop.
And these are some aggregates that can be used for mulching your rockery. We explain more of this later.
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| Amber Flint |
Buff Thames |
Golden Quartzite. |
Rougeite |
Green Basalt |
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| Grey Limestone |
Red Porphyry |
Black Basalt |
White Calcined Flint |
Pink Granite |
The photos above are only a general guide to the nature of the Rock and Aggregates. Being a natural product there will always be some variation in the goods supplied.
Which Aggregate to Use?
The general advice is that your mulch should either:
- blend in with the rock, to give a natural look
- contrast with the rock, for a more contemporary look
The choice is yours, but we have made a few suggesttions. The numbers of the aggregates we feel could be suitable are listed after the description of the individual rocks.
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The trick with the stone is to have sufficient to make a good show but not to make the mistake of having lots of small sized stones. Fewer, larger pieces look much more natural and form a good backdrop and protection for the plants.
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The rock available from garden centres, although of good quality, is very expensive and comes in pieces too small to be of much use - the planting will quickly swamp them. They are offered in this size as they are suitable for taking home in a car.
Our suppliers make up one ton lots of mixed sizes, some large but not too big to move and some not so large. Ideal for a rockery.
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