Pair perennial favorites with dwarf conifers that bring year-round texture and height to the scene. Common rock garden plants grow naturally on high mountains, where they need to stand up to harsh conditions such as intense sun, high winds, and drought. They were intended to imitate the intimate essence of nature, not its actual appearance, and to serve as an aid to meditation about the true meaning of life. Create a calming mood in your rock garden by choosing a variety of fast-growing groundcovers in cool, analogous hues, such as blue and violet. The moss arrived much later, when the garden was not tended. The scene was called ginshanadaliterally "sand of silver and open sea". In the eco-friendly yard of Eleanor Milardo, shown below, numerous rocks are stacked to create stony works of art.
