Rock Garden

• Make sure the rocks you use are the proper proportion for the area you're landscaping. If they're the wrong size, the space will feel too empty or too full.
• Create a path that meanders through the garden. After all, in nature, rocks land where they may.
  

Because the future garden sits at the top of a rocky slope, the first thing Curto does is make stairs. He uses a jackhammer to dig into the heavy, compacted soil, excavating ledges on which stair timbers will be placed. (If the soil were more pliable, a pick would suffice).
Next, he flattens the ground where the stairs will be built (figure A) and lays in 6- by 8-foot pressure-treated Douglas fir beams (figure B). Any pressure-treated wood that's rated for ground contact will work.

Step Two: Laying Out the Rock Garden

To give the garden an alpine feel, Curto selects hardy, low-maintenance plants:

• Peruvian lily (Alstroemeria), Zones 7-10, is a good choice because of its long period of bloom and vibrant color.
• Yarrow (Achillea 'Fireland'), Zones 4-8, is easy to grow and available in a range of colors and heights.
• Fountain grass (Pennisetum), Zones 8-10, grows three to four feet tall and adds texture, color and movement to the rock garden.
• Dietes (Dietes vegeta), Zones 9-10, blooms spring through summer, with foliage that's attractive all year round.

Step Three: Building the Path

With the plantings in place, Curto sets to work installing the large pieces of flagstone in the outlined garden path. He lays all the stones in the desired pattern, then lifts each flagstone individually and digs out the soil beneath to half-bury the stone and make a level walkway.

This area's potential has now been fully realized, with the completion of a separate garden room--a beautiful rocky retreat--on the property.