Expert: John-Paul Friend - 8/7/2005

Question
I have an existing rock "Garden".  It has myrtle throughout and now poison ivy has grown through it. I need to remove the ivy and replant the garden since it is very old and has few nice plants.  i just redid my masonry-wall and steps to house. now i need to redesign and clean up the rock garden.   Any ideas of how to proceed?

Answer
Hello, and thanks for your question. If you wish to completely redesign your rock garden, I would suggest firstly spraying it with a systemic weedkiller, such as 'Roundup'. This will kill all of the weeds and also their roots, preventing them from regrowing. This is non toxic and ecofriendly. If you only wish to remove certain plants, you can use a brush to just dose those specimens. Make sure you wear gloves! Then you need to decide how you want your rock garden to look. If you've just had some work done to the surrounding area you may wish it to complement this. I've found the best way to make a good rock garden is to take pictures of natural rock features and try to make yours look as much like it as possible. The choice of plants is difficult to decide, without knowing a little more about the weather/climate in your area. If you send another question, detailing your areas weather, I'll do my best to choose some species for you. If you have any other questions, please dont hesitate to get back in touch.