Quote:
Originally Posted by Jez  40 bags of spuds! So double the load unless you have the soil already there to work with? |
In most cases (depending on planting scheme) the recommended approach would be to create an 'ideal soil', as once built the only way of adding nutrients and soil conditioners is by top dressing and possiby some shallow digging.
So while using the native soil may be possible (no chance if you've got pure clay and want to grow alpines for example) may be possible, it still has to be lifted and cleaned of all perennial weeds (bindweed in a rockery ?) and compost or other organic material, plus a free draining material - grit or similar also added. For an alpine orientated rockery the traditional mix is thirds of top spit, organic material and grit.
Of course one can just get a few lumps of stone and set them in an existing bed as landscape features, but that does not really count as a 'rockery' in the formal sense.
CM