I think they’re metamorphic.
I don’t think I’ve got enough rocks or hardcore to make an alpine one. So it’s more likely it’ll be earth-based with rocks dropped on it.
So where can I buy soil in Dublin?
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 don’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 filter…lets the water drain, but keeps the dirt in place. I don’t know what you have available in Ireland, but in the states it’s available and known as “weed blocker” or landscape fabric. It’s a black, non woven, synthetic type stuff. It’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.
Sorry, dude. We don’t have “rockeries” in the Yoo-nited States of America. We do have rock gardens, however, and we do have the North American Rock Garden Society. There is a ton of information on that site about the construction of various types of rock gardens.
What you do is, watch home improvement TV shows like “Backyard Blitz” which is of course Australian so you have no idea what I am talking about. But it’s a very good garden makeover type show.
The Chelsea Flower Show is on at the moment, jjimm.
I bet you could find some information on there.
That explains everything.
Thanks for the advice.
You can buy bags of topsoil in Garden Centres, but you’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 6’ X 3’ by 1.5’ - 2’ high. I bought some (shortly after my wife left me unexpectedly and never came back…) and it cost about €50. Most of this was the delivery.
Deej’s advice is good because topsoil is a bugger for weeds.