Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Finally

Like I said before, when we moved here there was a bed in the back lined with rocks.  Through the years I have found some uses for them....give them to gardening friends, use them for a sloped rock garden, and pile the rest in the side bed waiting for inspiration to hit me in the head.   So I write this with great satisfaction that I have finally figured out what to do with them!

While finishing the dishes and staring out the window at our Douglas Fir (a corner that never sat right with me)  I finally saw it.  A line or a trail if you will in the soil between the Douglas Fir and the Viburnum.  Ah yes! A dry stream bed and a purpose for all my rocks!   






The digging begins!  In the spring I hope to purchase a load of stones for the bottom of the dry stream bed.  I will also be adding and transferring plants here from my rock garden come spring.







I have small to medium rocks so I plan on grouping them together to try and get the look of big rocks along both sides of the stream.




Good excuse to head to the fall plant sale at our local Arboretum!









My daughter wanted to push our plants all by herself. 
She knows her stuff! 
Japanese Forest Grass, Beautyberry, and Amsonia









I can finally start adding plants now that I know what I am doing!
Japanese Forest Grass






My sweet Beautyberry!  A  little sprig from a larger plant...can't wait for it to grow!












I have much to do!





Some lovely examples
via Google





















10 comments:

  1. I love all your inspirational photos. It is sure to be a wonderful treat in your garden :) And your daughter is such an adorable little helper! XOLaura

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  2. This will be beautiful! I love dry stream beds, and it's nice to be able to put those rocks to use. This is the first year for amsonia and beautyberry in my garden--you will love them. And what a sweet little garden helper!

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  3. Hi Nicole, Just came across your blog. What a delight! My neighbor just gave me a start of the Japanese Forest Grass. Uncertain some seem invasive in a bed and others don't. Look forward to seeing dry stream bed take shape.
    All the best,

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  4. A dry stream bed sounds like a nice idea and I like all of your design references. Just yesterday I was looking through magazines at my local news stand and saw an article in the current issue of (I think) Fine Gardening on making a dry stream bed. Perhaps it is worth a look if you have no installation references to go along with your design ideas.

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  5. Thank you! I will check out the article! Any little bit helps..I am thinking a couple of large stones may be needed. I just want it to be something that as the Douglas Fir grows I will be able to continue to adjust...This will probably mean I will have to pull the bed out more in time. Time for me to get to work!!!!

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  6. You found some nice examples for the dry stream bed. When you install, just make sure to bed the stones. It looks more natural with some of the bigger stone partially submerged.

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  7. Thanks Donna...I know that you work with stone a great deal so I appreciate any advice you can give me!!!

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  8. That is awesome. The transformation was totally amazing, from a dull corner to a beautiful dry stream with rocks. You had given me an idea for my own garden. Thanks a lot for sharing.

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  9. Awesome garden you got there. Good thinking on transforming it to a stream of rocks. Does rainwater flows on that stream? Just a thought.

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  10. Congratulations on that wonderful garden! It looks perfect!

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