Rock garden: problems & alternatives to gravel gardens

Stones create a special atmosphere in the garden. Gravel gardens take their use to the extreme. We will introduce you to everything on the subject.

In the following, we will deal with a phenomenon that some garden owners would describe as modern, others as simply hideous: It's about the so-called gravel gardens. Many a conversation is sparked by them, because one thing is clear: You are either for the stone desert or against it. We are going to get to the bottom of this trend below.

Rock garden

In the following, you will find out what advantages gravel gardens are believed to have, why they are so popular at the moment and what environmentally conscious critics think of them. Since the ban on graveled open spaces is in many places, we explain at the end of this article how you can keep a green garden easy to maintain.

What are rock gardens?

To clear up any misunderstandings: stones are often used in garden design and the resulting gardens can be very different. This is now about the modern gravel garden. The type of garden design known as gravel garden, unlike other rock garden variants, serves neither Cultivation of special plants or meditative relaxation or artistic-spiritual examination of the Element stone. Gravel gardens are intentionally kept very simple. There are no differences in height, surface alignment, water or planting areas. On an area covered with gravel there are several larger rocks and isolated grasses or bushes, the latter mostly in topiary. The reason for creating such a garden is not infrequently the desire for a clean and tidy look and the simultaneous expectation of minimal maintenance. For this reason, front gardens in particular are often designed as gravel gardens.

When you learn more about others Types of rock gardens you can read on here.

Why are gravel gardens trendy?

As in many areas, clear fashions can also be observed in the garden. Often these are even based on current clothing and furniture fashion. Just as modern, simple high-gloss furniture is currently moving into many living rooms, some people want to be in front of their house a tidy, clear and modern look that makes as little work as possible and possibly as a figurehead for the owner serves. And while a lawn in front of the house is regularly maintained and planted with care If possible, the gravel area in front of the house should be put together from planning to maintenance do little work. If hardware stores and specialist companies sense such a trend, many are happy to offer suitable products and services in order to earn something from them. In this way, a garden trend multiplies, especially when it is lived out in front of the house, where everyone can see it.

What should be considered in rock gardens?

Unfortunately, the hopes of modern front yard designers are almost always disappointed. Because, in fact, the ease of care of a gravel garden never lasts for long with us. In addition to the frequently occurring green algae growth, they are filled by the entry of leaves or other biological factors Material the spaces between the stones are noticeably and after a few years it is an Eldorado for wild herbs developed. Those who do not want to let this proliferate have to have the entire area renewed after a few more years of regular struggle against the green tide - or resort to total herbicide. It is not entirely clear whether the application of herbicides on gravel areas is allowed at all. Presumably, a gravel area is considered a paved surface and thus the application of herbicides or even household vinegar could be punished with a fine of up to 50,000 euros. There are good reasons for this apparently far too high sum: It is supposed to protect people, domestic and wild animals, plants, soil and groundwater from the entry of environmental toxins. In addition to the problems that actually accumulate in the joints of the ballast over the years, the system has a Gravel garden with little or no planting is in fact forbidden in almost all of Germany, as you can see immediately afterwards will be experienced.

Will there be a ban on rock gardens soon?

When there is talk of a ban on rock gardens, the barely planted gravel gardens and theoretically also the just as little overgrown Zen gardens are meant. Both are home to only a few, selected plants, offer animals no hiding places and insects none Food, in addition, they heat up so much in summer that veritable death zones for all living things develop. However, a new ban is not absolutely necessary to declare the gravel gardens illegal, because in fact they are not permitted in almost all of Germany anyway. With the exception of Saxony-Anhalt and Bremen, all German federal states stipulate in their building regulations that areas that are not built over must be greened. Only appropriate fortifications such as driveways or paths are exempt from this rule. Instead, Bremen prohibits the disfigurement of open spaces that have not been built over, which means that the vast majority of gravel gardens should not be permitted even in the small city-state. The existing regulations are, however, simply ignored by a number of property owners and even executing companies do not point out the violation of the applicable building regulations. The consistent enforcement of the existing regulation by the respective state government should actually be a matter of course, as it serves to preserve valuable natural spaces in building areas.

Low-maintenance alternatives to rock gardens

Correctly laid out and filled with special plants, a rock garden can be a paradise for fascinating plants and animals that have become rare. However, the creation of a planted rock garden is initially quite complex compared to that of a gravel garden. We would therefore like to give you a few tips that will help you develop a green, easy-care garden.

1. At the beginning there is the plan: In order to lay out an area in a structured and clean way from the outset, you or someone who is competent to assist you should Draw up a simple plan in which elements of the garden are drawn in: flowerbeds, paths, lawns and paved areas are entered or redefined. Sticking to this plan will help you avoid getting confused with purchasing plants or other activities.
2. Structuring the surface clearly with the help of edges made of paving stone or other material helps immensely, because different areas do not grow into one another so easily
3. Hardly anyone believes it, but it is unfortunately true: Overall, lawns are a lot more work than dense planted areas. If you do not want to mow weekly during the vigorous seasons, you should put the obligatory large lawn area up for discussion.
4. Choose plants carefully and even get advice if possible. The wrong choice or use of plants can quickly lead to frustration, wasted money, and work. The best thing to do is to contact a production nursery directly and pay close attention to the information on the choice of location, later growth size and sociability of the plants. Specialist books can also help you here. Do not use too many different plants overall - this saves a lot of work and makes a tidier impression later.
5. Buy plants directly from specialist nurseries: Many garden centers or even hardware stores have a colorful range, but often poor ones Qualities or drive off susceptible varieties that will become fragile and unsightly in your garden without perfect conditions and crop protection products can.
6. By sustainable gardening or the creation of a natural garden, you encourage the forces of nature in your garden: beneficial insects take away the pests on, mulch keeps the soil moist, soil organisms ensure a good replenishment of Nutrients. The more nature itself does, the less work you have.

If you follow these tips as a guide, a front garden without a stone desert character can become an easy-care and even ecologically valuable piece of soil. Nature conservation in your own garden does not have to be more expensive, more maintenance-intensive or more complex than a - hopefully - very soon no longer “fashionable” gravel garden.

More information on the topic Conservation in the garden You will find here.