How To Add Planting Spaces

If you garden in the Ozarks, you know our biggest crop is rocks. But if you want to grow something else, you need soil.

One of the ways to make rocks work for you is to use them as garden borders. The rocks will hold in soil, fallen leaves and mulch as well as slow down rain water, which eventually will all turn into soil.

In addition, you can use the rocks to soften soil areas for planting. This won't happen overnight but it will make planting a little easier later.

This is one of my garden spots with rocks as borders:

These rocks have been a flower border for a couple of years holding in soil, mulch and moisture.

These rocks have been a flower border for a couple of years holding in soil, mulch and moisture.

After some time, rocks will kill grass, weeds and other unwanted plants and you can easily move them to expand a flower bed. The remaining holes will be perfect for planting, especially if you add soil and mulch.

Rocks used as borders help break down soil for easier planting.

Rocks used as borders help break down soil for easier planting.

Another view of a flower bed I expanded by moving out the border rocks.To help rocks form the planting areas, dig a trench to initially put them in and remember to use gardening gloves when moving rocks, they can damage your hands. You also want to …

Another view of a flower bed I expanded by moving out the border rocks.

To help rocks form the planting areas, dig a trench to initially put them in and remember to use gardening gloves when moving rocks, they can damage your hands. You also want to have a good grip on the rocks or they may roll where you don't want them to go.

How do you use rocks in your garden?

Charlotte