Well... I understood a "Rock" was referring to "Rocks" and "Garden" is referring to plants.

In my opinion a person can plant whatever kind of garden they want to grow in their rocks and the rocks will still be rocks and the garden will still be a garden.

Stumbled on to this thread. Who knew that 'rock garden' could be controversial. Huh. I will continue to add rocks to my garden beds because I like them and have a lot of them.

Same here, Deb. It may not be a traditional rock garden, but it's still a rock garden!

so sorry, apparently all bent out of shape and fired up I was (and still kinda am if I think about it much)
and meanwhile, I went and created yet another abomination

dirtdorphins said:here's a pic from last spring--one of the better ones showing the new rock pile and part of the hill he doesn't have to mow any more


kinda hard to show the full scope of the thing, but you can get an idea anyway...

whatever

Here's one of mine, probably not properly a rock garden either:, I really don't even know what an alpine plant is:

What a pretty place you've created, Deb!

Interesting conversation. I checked the Oxford Dictionary and their definition of 'rock garden' is:
NOUN

1 A mound or bank built of earth and stones, and planted with rock plants; a rockery.

1.1 A garden in which rockeries are the chief feature.

So lets all enjoy our rocks and our plants. The rest is just semantics.

I have always loved Dirt and Asa's rock gardens.

Deb once you posted a question regarding what is it about semps that other people seem so crazy about them (you all know who you are...). Well, they are an alpine plant and they are one of the ones that go Great in a rock garden!

Bev, I have planted lots of semps around the edge of my patio, and have now started adding them around the rocks themselves. So, I'm slowly warming up to them. Not to the point that I track cultivars, but I do see how nice they look against hard surfaces. SpringColor was kind enough to gift me a flat of her seedlings at our local plant swap this year, so I'll soon have a good variety.

Karen, thank you for the compliment, but I can't take credit. My son designed and built this for me after he graduated with a degree in Landscape Architecture. Score!

Lucky you, Deb. I'm sure he's doing great now.

total score Deb !

took me a while to find it -- check this out you guys
The thread "Dream home and yard" in Plant Combination #60

and I'm glad you're warming up to the semps a bit!
they are amazingly durable, too. I'm replacing all the alpines that die with semps and dwarf irises

Ah, thanks Dirt. This was probably a year post-install. I am finding the Euonymous 'Emerald Gaiety' to be a bit overbearing (I keep cutting it back which is not ever my preference) and plan to move that to my driveway shrub border as an understory, mainly because it will undoubtedly transport Euphorbia 'Fens Ruby' with it, and I have found that to be a bit of a thug in this garden. They can both have their way in the driveway. Always learning...

What about saxifraga in the rock garden?

Great suggestion Mary.