There was a barren patch of unloved earth next to our (somewhat crumbling cement) stairway from the side of the house to the backyard. So, I decided this was the place to make a rock garden. I love hen and chickens (not least because that is a ridiculous name for a plant), and my father-of-the-green-thumb said they do best if crowded into a tight spot. You can see mine are already sprouting little babies. I have been gathering succulents and other rock-garden-friendly plants, and adding them as I go. I gathered all the rocks I could find on the property, but then convinced RJH to join me on an evening mission to the beach, where we pilfered some larger rocks. I chose a variety of shapes and colours. RJH made me quit when he claimed his backpack weighed 50 lbs. I think he thought we were conspicuous, since I had to go into the water to get the choice rocks, and Torontonians seem to think the Lake is too cold (or fail to understand that it's a Blue Flag beach so likely has less bacteria or toxins than their favorite cottage lake) and rarely enter the water, especially at dusk. I plan to go back for some smaller rocks.
Most of the plants are perennials so this garden will improve with time, I hope. When I was a kid, our family lived on a property which had a rock garden for the entire front yard, so they are something I know well, though I've never before started from scratch.
RJH took the nice photos for me.
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