# Help me build a rockery **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 18, 2003, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-a-rockery/176042 "2003-05-18T11:06:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2003, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-a-rockery/176042/21 "2003-05-19T13:20:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pergau \* > **One tip I got a while ago was to take a walk around your neighbourhood and see the sort of plants that grow best there - and steal them for your own rockery.** šŸ˜ƒ I think theyā€™re metamorphic. I donā€™t think Iā€™ve got enough rocks or hardcore to make an alpine one. So itā€™s more likely itā€™ll be earth-based with rocks dropped on it. So where can I buy soil in Dublin? ---
**Author:** ![Deej](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/53a042/32.png) [@Deej](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deej)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2003, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-a-rockery/176042/22 "2003-05-19T13:47:10Z")
Definitely start with a pile of rubble. Then fill in the biggest gaps in the rubble with gravel or junk dirt, then some topsoil. If you leave big gaps way down in the pile, the first time it rains or you water, all your compost will wash down in, leaving your plants high and dry. After the topsoil, start placing the rocks. Now is the time for the compost. Start from the bottom and think of the compost as mortar. Place a rock, fill in with compost a little and add another rock. Leave some big places (filled with compost) for big plants, leave some tiny places (also filled with compost) for tiny plants or mosses. Do a little pre planning, but donā€™t be rigid. Now if it were me, I would have covered the initial pile of rubble, gravel, and junk dirt with landscape fabric before I added the topsoil, compost and rocks. And every gap or pocket I put a plant into would be lined with it also. Works like a coffee filterā€¦lets the water drain, but keeps the dirt in place. I donā€™t know what you have available in Ireland, but in the states itā€™s available and known as ā€œweed blockerā€ or landscape fabric. Itā€™s a black, non woven, synthetic type stuff. Itā€™s available at garden centers in rolls about three feet wide. Some sell it by the foot, some are prepackaged in 25 or 50 foot lengths. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2003, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-a-rockery/176042/23 "2003-05-19T20:21:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > **Loneliest thread on the SDMB. ā˜¹** Sorry, dude. We donā€™t have ā€œrockeriesā€ in the Yoo-nited States of America. We do have rock gardens, however, and we do have the [North American Rock Garden Society](http://www.nargs.org/). There is a ton of information on that site about the construction of various types of rock gardens. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-a-rockery/176042/24 "2003-05-20T10:02:24Z")
What you do is, watch home improvement TV shows like ā€œBackyard Blitzā€ which is of course Australian so you have no idea what I am talking about. But itā€™s a very good garden makeover type show. ---
**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-a-rockery/176042/25 "2003-05-20T10:58:33Z")
[The Chelsea Flower Show](http://www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea/index.asp) is on at the moment, **jjimm**. I bet you could find some information on there. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-a-rockery/176042/26 "2003-05-20T11:06:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Green Bean \* > **Sorry, dude. We donā€™t have ā€œrockeriesā€ in the Yoo-nited States of America. We do have rock gardens, however** That explains everything. Thanks for the advice. ---
**Author:** ![Pergau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7c8e57/32.png) [@Pergau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pergau)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-a-rockery/176042/27 "2003-05-20T14:30:12Z")
You can buy bags of topsoil in Garden Centres, but youā€™d have to be Rockefeller (Geddit) to afford enough to make a rockery. Is there any building work going on around you - They are normally happy to give away (bung the guy a few quid if necessary) topsoil but you need a wheelbarrow or a trailer to get enough for a rockery. You can get Topsiol delivered to your house - look in the golden pages. A ton of soil will make an oval pile 6ā€™ X 3ā€™ by 1.5ā€™ - 2ā€™ high. I bought some (shortly after my wife left me unexpectedly and never came backā€¦) and it cost about ā‚¬50. Most of this was the delivery. Deejā€™s advice is good because topsoil is a bugger for weeds. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-a-rockery/176042.md?page=1)