I find it very interesting to look at groups of sempervivums, succulents, and other small alpines surrounded by clumps of iridescent gravel. Look at these rock garden plants up close and you’ll be amazed at how intricate and detailed they are. I made a small rock garden with my kids last summer. It was a really fun project for us to do together, and they were really interested in how the plants looked and felt.
When you choose the right pot and plants for this type of creative project, you can give it a lot of different styles and looks. For example, you could put a modern terracotta bowl on a table to make a stylish feature in the front porch. If you want a more rustic look, you could use an old zinc bucket or some broken rocks. Some people have even put a lot of plants in old bath tubs. When you want a small rock garden idea, here are the steps and the kit you need to make your own rock garden in a pot.
Essential kit for making a miniature container rockery
- Any pot you like will work for this project. Some good options are shallow planters, cement tubs, repurposed bricks, or ceramic bowls. Remember that it will need holes in it for water to drain.
- There are a lot of different pots and containers you could choose from. This shallow clay bowl from
- Walmart has a modern, sleek look and would work well.
Some rocks or pieces of broken pottery. - This little set of tools from Amazon has a small shovel. I used it for this project with my kids.
- For a rock garden in a pot, you’ll need potting soil made for alpines and succulents, like this
- Miracle-Gro planting mix from Walmart that drains quickly.
- A bunch of tiny rock gardens and alpine plants, like succulents, sempervivums, and sedums. This Amazon mini succulent collection is a great deal.
- Moss or gravel, like this very nice gravel from Amazon.
Also see:-How to grow delicata squash – an expert guide to sowing seeds and caring for plants
How to create a rock garden in a container: 6 steps
- Choose the item you want to use first. Serving sinks and pots made of clay that are very old always look nice. Pans, which are flat and wide, are also great because they don’t need as much potting soil, so plants won’t be sitting in cold, wet compost. Don’t forget to add drainage holes to your container.
- Put crocks at the bottom of the pot and fill it with potting soil until it’s about 2 inches from the top. This will give the plant room to grow and for you to water it.
- For best results, use potted soil made just for cacti and succulents, like this best-selling organic Back to the Roots mix. It has a lot of grit in it to help the soil drain better.
- Place your plants on the container while they are still in their pots until you are happy with how they look. Put them in water until the root balls are full before planting.
With care, pull the plants out of their pots and put them at the same depth as they were growing. - After giving it a lot of water, add a colorful layer on top, like this best-selling Mosser Lee pearl stone soil cover from Amazon. You could also fill in any holes in the plants with moss to make it look like a real rockery.
- You should make sure that your container can drain well. Put it on feet if you can so that any extra water can drain.