I am wondering how people start those landscape "piles." I can guess you put some rubble like old cinderblocks or stone, and then put smaller stones and finally get some course tiny gravel/potting mix or outside soil. How thick would each layer be if I wanted to build one of these piles in my yard? Thanks! (I will watch some on YT, I just wanted to get tips and hints from people who have them already!)

Katy, our @dirtdorphins would be the one to answer this question. Her and her husband have large rock gardens.

Hi ya,
Well I don't know about that Lynn, but I'll try--

No intentional layers or strata here. I try really hard to get a good even mix of soil and amendments in my "piles" and there's no rubble buried in there.
I live on the side of a foothill of a large mountain though, so there are inherent elevation changes for me to work with or work around as the case may be.

Katy, what are you wanting to build?

I'd advise against layers of different materials where you are intending to plant because it will affect the way water travels through each layer. A homogeneous soil mix is easier for plants to root in and will have both better drainage and moisture retention for the plants.

Thank you Dirt, that is helpful information.

dirtdorphins said:

I'd advise against layers of different materials where you are intending to plant because it will affect the way water travels through each layer. A homogeneous soil mix is easier for plants to root in and will have both better drainage and moisture retention for the plants.

Issues we have here are wind. If the mix is too light it will get blown away. Monsoon rains. The drainage is paramount. Then intense heat in summer (at least a few days at 105 or so. (Not as bad as Phoenix, AZ.)We have clay undernieth, so I do need a raised bed, but I do not want it to look like a box. I've been amending the soil in areas for about 6 years, but a lot of plants cannot stand the area. I do not know much about sempervivums so the main thing I want to know is what the roots look like. How deep are they? How able to dig into the land. This stuff will be answered as I learn more about them. I have good drainage when it comes to the other sedums. What I think I will do is to build cinderblock raised beds like one section at a time that are similar to the one I have now but with neater masonry work. Then I can play around with "rocks" visually because whatever I do I won't lose the plants. The area is about 9 by 30. So the cost of doing it all at one time is a bit rough. I will insert some pictures into this thread later.

Katy, we are looking forward to your pictures.
Meanwhile, what is it that your grow successfully?

I am late to the conversation but..
I use old landscaping pavers and I create crevices and backfill with soil

valleylynn said: Katy, we are looking forward to your pictures.
Meanwhile, what is it that your grow successfully?

Mostly indoors. I grow orchids (mostly Phragmipediums which are South American slipper orchids). Of the sedum that are growing well, are blue spruce is growing really well, as well as most creeping sedum -- I just planted a lot of angelica yesterday. Last year I got a flat of tiny 2 row sedum and they are going well and covering the ground. There is some tall sedum, some Knifofia, coneflowers, lots of other random plants. They are planted straight in the ground. Roses and Iris. I could grow anything when I was in Iowa. Right now, I have been trying to find plants that are drought resistant and yet the person who owns the house does not want cactus, agave, and Xerotic plants, so I am stuck trying to test, pick and choose among "drought resistant" non-desert plants. Other than the Iris and roses, most plants have bulbs or rhizomes. I also have all those planters of sempervivum. The picture only shows about 1/3th of the border, where a lot of the sedum are. (And those packaged roses are going to go to the front yard in a week.

Sweet, love the frog.