For some people the appeal of a rock garden is that it can look much more natural than a manicured flowerbed or an English style garden with flowers heaping everywhere. For others, they are too busy rushing off to work, running errands, or too tired to care for a standard backyard landscape. No matter your reason though, rock gardens are a great choice for anyone wishing to spruce up their outdoor home space. Here are some simple tips if you're thinking of adding one to your home.

The best place for a rock garden is a sloped location where rainwater can run off as needed. While all plants of course need water it's better if rock gardens have soil that is a little less rich than what you would find in a standard garden. Excavate the soil and choose some larger rocks that you would like to protrude through the surface. Whether you're dealing with Northern homes or a home on the East Coast you want to simulate an Alpine sort of setting. Line the bottom of your garden with rocks to help secure it.

Limestone is the best choice when building this style of garden but some others, like granite, can work as well. Talk to an expert at your local garden centre to find out what is available and what will work best in your area. What might be perfect for one homeowner to use outside of their house might not work for a property in another region.

Another thing that you should speak to an expert about is the type of plants that will work best for your garden. Plants that are native to the environment will require less maintenance and care than exotic strains. You should also use bedding plants instead of seeds. Before you get out the garden tools to start building know what your plan is for the garden. While this is a design that will look more natural in the end over some other outdoor choices it does take some thinking in the early stages.

If you're really ambitious with your garden plans you can consider adding a water feature into your rock garden. Think of it as a little stream running through your garden scene. To do this you could use half of a polythene pipe to help direct the flow of the water. Better Homes and Gardens has some excellent rock garden samples.