Landscaping in the West

Dominating the west cost region of the United States, California experiences one of the larges ranges in temperature and topography in the country, from cool mountains to sweltering canyons. Landscapers in California have hundreds of opportunities to assert their individuality and creativity. However, one traditional landscape design that is uniformly applied to landscapes in this western state--the rock garden.

Rocks in a rock garden landscape share equal attention with the surrounding plants to create a natural looking space. The rocks should appear as though they were meant to be in the landscape. To create this natural appeal, dig into the soil and wedge the rocks in, but remember to leave the rocks only partially exposed. The vegetation should be tucked in around crevices for off hand charm. Use rocks that are native to the western region for landscape continuity. Thereafter the initial installation labor, rock garden are relatively low maintenance.

The Alpine rock garden landscape is perfect for northern California where higher altitudes are cooler and moister. In this type of climate, natural mosses and lichen native to the region are wonderful additions to the rock garden. To keep with natural flavor, choose low growing perennials with a clustering penchant. Keep things simple by minimizing the variety of plants you choose--similar species and colors will unify this landscape design.

The constant sunshine and warm air of Southern California will lead you to a different choice of plants to accent your rock garden landscape. Perhaps you can install a variety of cacti and succulents to mimic a desert space. Taller growing cacti species should be placed near the back. Spreading succulents terms "hens-and-chicks" are a great ground filler and spring up summer blooms.