New Category Proposal: Rock Gardens

[+NW_history_buff]

In my travels this past year, I've come across three rock gardens which were designated as 'Rock Gardens.' I tried to find a current category that these might fit into but the closest two categories I could find were Rock and Mineral Displays and Sculpture Gardens (some of these rocks are sculptures). Two of the rock gardens I visited were basically individual rocks that were native to the area and and artistically placed among native plants to form a garden open to the public to walk through. These rocks didn't contain interpretive or educational displays that are required in the Rocks and Minerals Displays category. One rock garden contained actual rock sculptures but there were other types of rocks in non-sculptural displays.

 

I'm wondering if there are enough worldwide locations of designated rock gardens to justify a category of its own?

 

Thoughts?

[+L0ne.R]

In my travels this past year, I've come across three rock gardens which were designated as 'Rock Gardens.' I tried to find a current category that these might fit into but the closest two categories I could find were Rock and Mineral Displays and Sculpture Gardens (some of these rocks are sculptures). Two of the rock gardens I visited were basically individual rocks that were native to the area and and artistically placed among native plants to form a garden open to the public to walk through. These rocks didn't contain interpretive or educational displays that are required in the Rocks and Minerals Displays category. One rock garden contained actual rock sculptures but there were other types of rocks in non-sculptural displays.

 

I'm wondering if there are enough worldwide locations of designated rock gardens to justify a category of its own?

 

Thoughts?

 

Waymarking definitely needs a 'Rock Gardens' category.

 

[+lumbricus]

I can hardly imagine what a rock garden looks like. Could you please share a picture or two.

This might be helpful.

Thanks, that's what I wanted to ask, too.

[+L0ne.R]

I hope the OP doesn't mind me jumping in with a photo.

Rock/Alpine gardens are one of my go-to gardens when visiting Botanic Gardens.

The garden makes extensive use of gravel and rocks, with mostly mountainous plants that grow in rocky conditions (poor well drained soil).

 

Many Botanical Gardens include a Rock (or Alpine) Garden. Here's a nice example:

 

Betty Ford Alpine Garden (Colorado)

Edited June 22, 2015 by L0ne.R

[+Benchmark Blasterz]

How are rock gardens different from Botanical Gardens, especially if they are IN Botanical Gardens?

[+L0ne.R]

How are rock gardens different from Botanical Gardens, especially if they are IN Botanical Gardens?

 

Botanical Gardens are made up of many speciality gardens - e.g. japanese garden, rose garden, rhododendrum garden, rock garden, etc.

I don't think Waymarking.com has a broad Botanical Gardens category.

[+L0ne.R]

How are rock gardens different from Botanical Gardens, especially if they are IN Botanical Gardens?

 

Botanical Gardens are made up of many speciality gardens - e.g. japanese garden, rose garden, rhododendrum garden, rock garden, etc.

I don't think Waymarking.com has a broad Botanical Gardens category.

 

Just did a search...there is a Botanical Gardens category. But that's the all-encompassing broad term, you wouldn't list each speciality garden within the botanic garden in this category. There are separate categories for specialty gardens. Examples: Japanese Gardens, Arboretums, Rose Gadens

[+GeoLog81]

Botanical gardens are about plants, and rock gardens should be about rocks. The given example is, in my opinion, more about plants, but I've seen many nice rock compositions where rocks have taken most of the space - flowers were only a background.

A nice category, in my opinion. Not as spectacular as mineral expositions, places of geological significance or mentioned botanical gardens, but there are many not-so-spectacular categories build up upon one 'deviation' like love for bears, lions, gargoyles, or gazebos. I love rocks and stones and I'd love to see that category.

[+NW_history_buff]

Botanical gardens are about plants, and rock gardens should be about rocks. The given example is, in my opinion, more about plants, but I've seen many nice rock compositions where rocks have taken most of the space - flowers were only a background.

A nice category, in my opinion. Not as spectacular as mineral expositions, places of geological significance or mentioned botanical gardens, but there are many not-so-spectacular categories build up upon one 'deviation' like love for bears, lions, gargoyles, or gazebos. I love rocks and stones and I'd love to see that category.

 

Nice reply, GeoLog81. I agree, rock gardens should have their own category, much like Japanese Gardens and Rose Gardens have their own categories.

 

I'll start working on a group page and category writeup and post the links to them here since I've received enough positive feedback to move forward on this.

[+T0SHEA]

We liked GeoLog81 reply. Count us in.

 

We contacted Marine Biologist about "Rock Gardens".

 

Excerpts from email: "Hi BK-Hunters,...I usually look for the garden to have at least some educational information, even if it's only tags/signs identifying the plants in the garden. If a rock garden doesn't highlight plants or provide any educational information about the plants within the garden, it would probably not be accepted to the Botanical Gardens category. Hope that helps.(Marine Biologist)"

 

This should clarify as whether rock gardens will be accepted in the Botanical Gardens category.

[+lumbricus]

Please come up with some examples, pictures taken by Waymarkers. If they are to 99% in botanical gardens I think we don't need an own category and I think it's hard to define, I know many gardens which have many rocks in them (also rock plants on them).

[+GeoLog81]

I can't say what are exact intentions of category proposers, but I've seen numerous rock exhibitions, for example on petrol stations. They are meant to be decorations and they are based primarily on rocks.

[+NW_history_buff]

To help clarify some confusion regarding what rock gardens are, I've taken an excerpt from the North American Rock Garden Society (NARGC) website which reads:

 

"...we are an organization of people interested in perennial plants that grow well among rocks and that are relatively short."

 

This is the most succinct and simple definition as to what rock gardens are that I've found. I would assume there are rock garden clubs and organizations that exist in other countries as well. Much as Japanese Gardens and Rose Gardens focus on specific types of plants, rock gardens also focus on relatively short-growing plants that specifically grow on rocks. These rock gardens can exist within a botanical garden but they can also be stand-alone gardens. I've come across two rock gardens in my travels and I know there are many more out there. The NARGC website lists some prominent rock gardens that exist, such as:

 

The Rock Alpine Garden at the Denver Botanic Garden, Denver, CO; Betty Ford Alpine Garden, Vail, CO; Botanic Garden of Smith College, Northhampton, MA; Berry Botanical Garden, Portland, OR; The Alpine Garden at the Montreal Botanic Garden, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; and the E. H. Lohbrunner Alpine Garden at the University of British Columbia Botanic Garden, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

 

I'm interested to see if there are enough rock gardens around the world to justify a category all to themselves. After reading up on them online, I feel rock gardens DO deserve a category to themselves.

[+NW_history_buff]

The following pictures are of a rock garden I visited this past winter:

\

Edited July 7, 2015 by thebeav69

[+Benchmark Blasterz]

I can't say what are exact intentions of category proposers, but I've seen numerous rock exhibitions, for example on petrol stations. They are meant to be decorations and they are based primarily on rocks.

 

I would not think that those would be accepted in this category since their primary purpose is to serve as decoration, unlike the rock garden examples Beav has shared.

Edited July 8, 2015 by Benchmark Blasterz

[+Torgut]

"Rock Gardens They don't fit into any existing category"

 

And I wonder... how about "Gardens". Where do they fit (that rock gardens don't) ?