A crevice garden is a style of garden arranging rocks in layers sticking vertically out of the ground. Originating in the Czech Republic, the crevice gardening style mimics natural rock features and plants growing from cliffs and crags. This charming practice is increasingly popular in the United States, particularly Colorado.
Thousands of species of plants around the world are adapted to grow in small spaces between rocks. In some cases they are so accustomed to this life that the plants—sometimes classified as lithophytes—are difficult to cultivate in typical garden soil. Crevice gardens employ plants with long, wiry, penetrating roots that find water supplies deep in the rocks, but loathe being excessively wet at the base of the stem, and don’t fare well with competition from larger plants.
Additionally, many plants that grow fine in garden soil can adapt to rock crevices—plants like huchera, penstemon, creeping phlox, candytuft, lupines, ajuga, dianthus and more. In nature, cliffside plants even include some trees, which will attain a more compact, dwarf form under the confining conditions. When native pines grow in tight confines they develop natural bonsai appearance and can live for decades or centuries without getting more than a few feet tall.
Crevice gardens counterintuitively support plants that need dry conditions to thrive, as well as hosting plants that like moderate moisture, since the roots can reach deep into wetter spots within the rocks. They do this by allowing the root tips to stay wet while the crown stays dry. Plants in these spaces also benefit from not having to fight the aggressive root systems of nearby grass, shrubs and trees.
This is a great technique for growing small succulents and cacti that get lost in an expansive garden, which is helpful because many cold-hardy cacti and succulents are very small and are best viewed up close. Pediocactus, sempervivum (hens and chicks), dwarf prickly pears and small sedums thrive in the cracks. It’s also ideal for many other native Western species adapted to the dry southwest or high Rockies.
Finally, a crevice garden is a great way to garden in the city with a small space! With a few square feet you can plant dozens of small, attractive plants, each in its own spot, without any being overtaken by the others. It is remarkably weed-resistant, is virtually maintenance free, and combines the aesthetics of stone structure with the seasonal change and movement of live plants.