A Pretty Rock Garden Idea with Colorful Alpine Plants

Winning Plant Combinations, Plant Combination Ideas

Garden Ideas, Border ideas, Rock Garden ideas, Creeping Phlox, Phlox Subulata, Dianthus, Pinks, Colorado Spruce, Picea pungens, Rock Roses, Rock Cress, Helianthemum, Aubrieta

Transforming a dull slope into a beautiful rock garden is easy when you chose the right plants. Here, a colorful selection of Dianthus (Pink), Phlox subulata (Creeping Phlox), Aubrieta (Rock Cress), Euphorbia (Spurge), Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s Ears), and Helianthemum (Rock Rose) create an eye-catching display. The garden explodes in a firework of colors for months and requires moderate care.

Most plants are deer and rabbit resistant, and drought tolerant. Enjoy!

Garden Information

Hardiness	7
Heat Zones	7
Climate Zones	4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17
Exposure	Full Sun
Season of Interest	Spring (Mid, Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Maintenance	Low
Water Needs	Low
Soil Type	Loam, Sand
Soil pH	Neutral
Soil Drainage	Well-Drained
Characteristics	Plant of Merit, Showy
Attracts	Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Garden Styles	Gravel and Rock Garden

Plants In This Garden

Aubrieta deltoidea (Rock Cress)

Vigorous and eye-catching, Aubrieta deltoidea (Rock Cress) is a mat-forming evergreen perennial plant that produces delightful, vivid purple-red flowers in mid-late spring to early summer. The blossoms are so abundant that they almost completely cover the gray-green foliage below, creating a striking scenery.

Hardiness	5 - 7
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun
Seasons	Spring (Mid, Late), Summer (Early)
Height	4" - 9" (10cm - 23cm)
Spread	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)

Phlox subulata 'Scarlet Flame' (Creeping Phlox)

Phlox subulata ‘scarlet Flame’ (Creeping Phlox) is an incredibly eye-catching evergreen perennial with masses of vibrant scarlet-red flowers, which enthusiastically blanket the dark green, needle-like foliage in mid to late spring. Strong and vigorous, it forms a lovely cushion and adds splashes of color for about 3-4 weeks.

Hardiness	2 - 9
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Spring (Mid, Late)
Height	4" - 6" (10cm - 15cm)
Spread	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)

Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii (Mediterranean Spurge)

A stunning plant for year-round interest, Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii is a statuesque evergreen shrub that enjoys months of chartreuse flowers.

Hardiness	7 - 10
Plant type	Perennials, Shrubs
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Spring (Early, Mid, Late), Summer (Early)
Height	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Spread	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)

Stachys byzantina (Lamb's Ear)

Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s Ear) is a perennial foliage plant used as a low, spreading ground cover. Its velvety, silver-gray leaves create bright mats in borders and rock gardens. In late spring to early summer, fuzzy spikes carry small pink-purple flowers, though many gardeners remove them to spotlight the foliage.

Hardiness	4 - 8
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun
Seasons	Spring (Early, Mid, Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall, Winter
Height	6" - 2' (15cm - 60cm)
Spread	1' - 3' (30cm - 90cm)

Helianthemum 'Raspberry Ripple' (Rock Rose)

Helianthemum ‘Raspberry Ripple’ (Rock Rose or Sun Rose) is an eye-catching low-growing evergreen shrub resembling a flower carpet from late spring to midsummer. Abundant, showy, saucer-shaped, crimson to rose flowers, 1 in. across (3 cm), tipped with white and adorned with a boss of central yellow stamens literally smother the plant. While the flowers are the main attraction, the evergreen foliage of silvery-green, lance-shaped leaves, is almost as compelling.

Hardiness	4 - 9
Plant type	Shrubs
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Spring (Late), Summer (Early, Mid)
Height	6" - 8" (15cm - 20cm)
Spread	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)

Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue' (Blue Fescue)

One of the best and most colorful of all Blue Fescue varieties, Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’ is a wonderful dwarf ornamental grass, mostly grown for its superb, semi-evergreen, bright silver-blue foliage. Densely tufted, the foliage of finely-textured, blade-like needles forms a neat mound topped by upright flower plumes in summer.

Hardiness	4 - 8
Plant type	Ornamental Grasses
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Spring (Early, Mid, Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall, Winter
Height	8" - 1' (20cm - 30cm)
Spread	8" - 1' (20cm - 30cm)

Dryopteris filix-mas (Male Fern)

Dryopteris filix-mas (Male Fern) is a large, deciduous fern with erect, stout rhizomes supporting graceful bouquets of lance-shaped, dull green fronds. Tapering at the base, each frond (blade) is pinnate-pinnatifid with 20-30 pairs of long-pointed leaflets per blade. Turning coppery in fall, this most adaptable and robust fern thrives on neglect and is pest and disease free.

Hardiness	4 - 8
Plant type	Ferns
Exposure	Partial Sun, Shade
Seasons	Spring (Mid, Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall
Height	2' - 4' (60cm - 120cm)
Spread	2' - 4' (60cm - 120cm)

Picea pungens 'Globosa' (Blue Spruce)

Slow-growing, Picea pungens ‘Globosa’ (Blue Spruce) is a dwarf, broadly pyramidal, densely branched, evergreen shrub with rigid, silvery blue needles. The attractive blue needles hold their color well throughout the year. A very charming Blue Spruce that stands out in the garden, specifically in the spring when the new growth is at its most intense blue. Perfect for rock gardens, border fronts and small gardens.

Hardiness	2 - 8
Plant type	Conifers, Shrubs
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Spring (Early, Mid, Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall, Winter
Height	3' - 5' (90cm - 150cm)
Spread	4' - 6' (120cm - 180cm)

Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Firewitch' (Cheddar Pink)

Dianthus gratianopolitanus ‘Firewitch’ is a sun loving, evergreen perennial cheddar pink that forms tight, silvery blue tufts smothered in clove scented, frilly magenta blooms in late spring, with repeat flushes if deadheaded.

Hardiness	3 - 9
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Spring (Mid, Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall
Height	6" - 8" (15cm - 20cm)
Spread	6" - 1' (15cm - 30cm)

Dianthus 'Candy Floss' (Pink)

Very compact and free flowering, Dianthus ‘Candy Floss’ (Pink) is a charming evergreen perennial with masses of highly scented, fully double, pale sugar pink flowers, adorned with purplish-red markings near the center. The delicately toothed petals develop darker shades of pink at maturity.

Hardiness	5 - 9
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Spring (Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Height	10" - 1' (25cm - 30cm)
Spread	10" - 1' (25cm - 30cm)

How Many Plants Do I Need?

Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas

Dianthus (Carnation) Euphorbia (Spurge) Festuca (Fescue) Helianthemum (Rock Rose) Phlox Picea (Spruce) Stachys

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Alternative Plants to Consider

Helianthemum ‘Henfield Brilliant’ (Rock Rose)

Dianthus ‘Coral Reef’ (Pink)

Phlox subulata ‘Candy Stripe’ (Creeping Phlox)

Festuca glauca ‘Blaufuchs’ (Blue Fescue)

judywhite / GardenPhotos.com

While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.