They still are the biggest plant explorers. They have access to Russia and know how to collect all over the old Soviet Union. Denver hosted the first rock gardeners from the Czech Republic in 1986 and the two have been in a close relationship ever since. The Czech built rock walls and nestled alpine plants in-between the rocks. That set the style and standard for rock gardens around the world.
Rocks are a stylistic flourish, the desire to bonsai the natural mountainous terrain.
But a rock garden needn t have rocks at all. Berms will elevate the plants for excellent drainage. Bob gathered discarded sod from his neighbor s lawn, layering the rotting grass in piles. Then the berms were covered with small pea gravel for added drainage. Bob flips through the pages of a book written by two Czech gardeners who sell seed.