A rock garden is a fine thing that, once created, doesn't cost too much maintenance or money. However, creating it can be quite expensive - depending on how large the area is and what plants you want to put on it. Any necessary preparatory work can also be really expensive.
How much does it cost to create a rock garden?
The costs for a rock garden vary depending on size, plant selection and necessary preparatory work. Materials such as sand and rubble stones cost around 1 to 2.50 euros per square meter, while large natural stones can cost up to 500 euros per square meter. If you invest professionally, you can expect to spend 3,000 to 10,000 euros or more.
Materials required and average cost
Before you can start planting, various preparatory work is necessary depending on local conditions. A rock garden on a slope, for example, must be secured (for example by a wall), heavy soil should be loosened with sand and provided with drainage made of a layer of gravel and, if necessary, water pipes. Quarry stones and sand are quite cheap: you can expect to pay around one to two and a half euros per square meter. The stones, on the other hand, become more expensive, especially if they are large natural stones. Depending on the type of rock, these can cost up to 500 euros per square meter.
Caution: Transporting large stones can cost thousands of euros
Sometimes not even the particularly beautiful boulder is actually the expensive object. Instead, transporting it, possibly over many kilometers and with heavy equipment, is complex and expensive. For this reason, you should always inquire about the distance and the expected transport costs before purchasing special stones - this prevents moments of shock when opening the later invoice.
Costs depending on size of rock garden and selection of plants
Now a large rock garden with a lot of support is of course many times more expensive than a rock garden in a raised bed or even in a pot, no question. However, things can also be expensive in small rock gardens, namely when choosing the plants. You can get common plants for just a few euros in garden stores, but special rarities sometimes cost several hundred euros and can only be purchased from specialized dealers orPurchase from breeders.
Have a rock garden created by a professional?
If you want to have your rock garden created by a professional, you will of course have to add the labor costs to the material. Depending on how large and elaborate the rock garden is to be designed and what equipment needs to be used, you can expect costs between around 3,000 and 10,000 or more euros.
Tip
If the soil is heavy, it should always be dug up and improved with sand and a drainage layer. In addition, a rock garden on this surface should always be on a slope and in the upper area - this way the water can drain away and not build up on the plants.
