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Sourced from Highland quarries and remote parts of the Scottish coastline, Scottish cobbles provide an attractive and popular paving option that is suitable for use in a wide range of outdoor spaces, including gardens and driveways.

These naturally rounded stones have a beautiful, rich earthy hue with a slightly glossy finish, achieved through years of weathering. A hard-wearing and versatile material for areas that receive heavy use, such as driveways and courtyards, Scottish cobbles are a smart choice that will look equally at home outside a period home or a new build.

The irregular shape of Scottish cobbles means that they provide better drainage than many traditional paving options. They are also relatively inexpensive and can be easily laid, even by those with limited DIY experience. Available in various sizes, ranging from the larger Scottish cobbles to the smaller Scottish pebbles, these stones can be used in many different ways to create a neat and stylish driveway

Look back to history

Rockeries first started becoming popular in England back in the 18th century as part of the garden landscape movement of the time. Designs then went on to be influenced by explorers in Victorian times, who bought alpine plants into the UK. This led to the creation of some outlandish projects in England, such as Sir Frank Crisp’s mini-Matterhorn at Friar Park in Henley-on-Thames, complete with its own tin mountain goats.

Your classic English rockery may not end up being quite so quirky, but this sort of eccentricity does give you an idea of how much imagination can be bought into play if you want to create your own take

If you have been thinking about building your own rockery, you might be asking questions like:

How big does my garden have to be to build a rockery?
Can I build a rockery against a fence?
What materials do I need?

If you are confused about how exactly to build the perfect rockery for your garden, read on to have all your questions answered.

When to begin?

The most suitable time to create a rock garden feature using landscaping rocks is the colder months, whilst spring is the most fruitful time of year to create a rockery designed for plant growth when the weather is getting warmer.

Purpose

Rock gardens can be created for numerous purposes, and defining yours in advance will help you choose the correct size, shape and colour. For instance, you may wish to create a rock border around your lawn, flowers or shrubbery; you may wish to create a rockery garden as a feature in itself; or you may want to create a rock border around a water feature or pond.

The prospect of building a rockery wall can seem daunting at first, but fear not! Following this guide and choosing the right stone will make sure that the build is as simple and easy as possible. It will also ensure that your rockery wall delivers the practical or aesthetic functions you want and will guarantee that you can enjoy all that it is has to offer for years to come.

Once you’ve decided you’d like to create a rock garden, you need to choose your rocks and think about which plants you’d like to include.

Not every plant will be ideal for planting in a rock garden. You’ll need plants that respond well to surrounding rocks and that are easy to maintain. You’ll also want to choose plants and flowers that fit in with the style you’re looking to create, such as traditional or contemporary. You should also consider colour schemes, picking plants and flowers that will blend or contrast with your garden depending on the effect you want

There are countless ideas to choose from when it comes to creating a compact rock garden, but here is some inspiration to get your thoughts growing as fast as your plants will do.

Start planning

Before even thinking about getting your hands dirty, plan how you want your rockery to look. Think about its location and the type of plants and rockery stones you want to use. Remember that many rockery plants prefer a sunny environment and so steer clear of shady areas.

Use a computer program to create your rockery plans, or go back to basics and get the square paper out. Draw your plans to scale and consider things such as maintenance and budget, as well as the aesthetics of your