Rock gardens: ‘Yes you can’ grow these plants right in your back yard

There can be a certain mystique about rock gardens, a feeling that they’re somehow too exotic for the typical backyard gardener.

“Rock gardening is very scary to a lot of people,” said Kevin Cretin, president of the Northwest Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society.

Actually it’s far more simple than many people think. It’s simply plants that grow around rocks, he said.

It’s that feeling of “really, give it a try,” that he and other rock garden specialists are trying to spread. An upcoming panel discussion on rock gardening is scheduled for May 19 at the Evergreen Arboretum & Gardens.

One of the first things gardeners need to know is these plants don’t need to be babied, Cretin said.

Rock garden plants can grow “in the crummiest soil you can think of,” he said. Put them in some premium Black Gold potting soil and they’ll die. “That’s not what they want,” Cretin said.

The plants grow — and thrive — in conditions that would be too extreme for other plants. “It’s hard for urban gardeners to get that feeling of ‘just let go,’ ” he said.

People don’t have to travel far to see how rock gardens can be developed. The upcoming event is being held in part to show off recent additions to the rock gardens at the Everett Arboretum.

The talk will include what types of plants grow well in Pacific Northwest rock gardens.

Several of these plants can be found relatively nearby, in the Wenatchee Mountains. They include bitterroot, which grows well in the right conditions. Cretin, who lives in Seattle, said he has some planted in his yard, generally an area with a lot of shade and dampness. But he found a spot with good drainage and sun, and they’ve thrived.

“It blooms year after year,” he said.

Another plant is called tweedyi, which grows in Kittitas, Chelan and Okanogan counties.

“Anybody can grow it,” Cretin said.

Rock gardens can be created cheaply, using the gravel sold at building stores, or broken pieces of cinder blocks or paving stones.

“The only real trick is to have a little patience,” he said. “The plants do grow slowly. But considering it doesn’t take a heck of a lot of work, it’s a fun thing to do.”

Recent additions to the Everett Arboretum’s rock garden came from Ted and Sandy Milam from Stanwood, who have rock gardens in their own back yard. They will be among others to join Cretin on the panel.

Ted Milam grows the plants from seed in two small greenhouses on their property.

The couple have been active in the Evergreen Arboretum & Gardens group since 2002.

Everyone attending the May 19 event will take home a rock garden-suitable plant — “a variety of easy plants,” Sandy Milam said.

The rock gardens at the Everett Arboretum were established in 2007.

Its reputation is such that it sometimes attracts international visitors, but it is something of a hidden gem.

“It’s amazing to me how many people don’t know about it,” she said.

Sharon Salyer:425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.

If you go

Join experts from the Northwestern Chapter of North American Rock Garden Society from noon to 1 p.m. May 19 for a tour of the rock gardens in the Everett Arboretum. Proper construction, design techniques, and plant selection will be discussed.

Meet in the Arboretum Rock Garden, 145 Alverson Blvd., Everett. Registration required. Free to Evergreen Arboretum & Gardens Foundation members; $10 non-members. RSVP by calling 425-257-8597 or via email at contactus@evergreenarboretum.com.