Using Rocks and Boulders Properly in Landscape Design
 No matter where I am, either driving around the neighborhood near my home, or traveling across the country, I see the same mistake made with putting rocks and boulders into a landscape design over and over again.
It's almost unbelievable the number of "professional" landscape design companies, landscape contractors, and homeowners, that just don't know how to place rocks correctly into a garden or landscape.
The good news is, it's really easy. So to help you avoid the most common mistakes, here is a list for you to follow:
1. Don't just place rocks on top of the ground. No matter how nice a rock you have, it will look fake and out of place if you just let it sit on top of the soil.
2. Bury the rock at least 1/4 to 1/2 way into the ground. It's more natural this way. If you look out in nature, big massive rocks look as though they are peeking out of the ground, and it's because they are. Time has washed off the soil level to reveal the rocks underneath. So do the same with yours.
3. Rocks have sides. Put the flat part facing upwards, it makes it look old, sturdy, and weather beaten this way.
4. Unless the rock is huge and can stand alone on its own, group rocks and boulders in odd numbers: 3, 5, 7, etc. Nature seldom happens in even pairs, so again, pay attention to how nature does it.
If you follow these four simple steps, any rock or boulder you decide to put into your garden design is going to look like it is a natural part of the landscape and not just an appendage that was thrown on top at the last minute looking out of place. Good luck!
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