Find the perfect site, which ideally would be a slope that faces southeast. However, for flat areas, simply build a round pyramid- shaped raised bed. The bed should face north and southeast with a shaded western area. Fill the bed of a rock garden with one part pea gravel, one part sand and two parts loam to aid drainage. Next, gather rocks that match and look well together - avoid mixing rock types (rocks found in your local area will look more natural in your garden). The large anchor rocks should go in first... these may have to be placed by professional landscapers with machinery that can handle that much weight.

Another consideration is portability of the ‘smaller’ rocks. Try to choose rocks that can be moved by one or two people and use a simple lever system that is made up of a brick, a crowbar and a length of pipe to move the rocks. By placing a pipe over the handle of the crowbar, it extends the length by about 1 metre and makes moving the stones easier. Use the brick as a fulcrum to move the larger rocks to the new garden site. Flat stones can act as stepping stones and help to bring water down to the bed surface. Edging stones are also nice and larger stones can be used as small sitting areas in the garden.

If a rock gets scraped during transport or setup, make a solution of water-based potter’s clay and yogurt to camouflage marks on the rocks and add a weathered look. Use about three parts clay with one part yogurt and mix until it's about the consistency of toothpaste and then paint it on to the rocks. The yogurt will add enzymes and encourage the growth of lichens and moss.

Your local garden centre or nursery will undoubtedly have a large range of alpine and rockery plants, so go and spend a couple of hours there happily browsing and buying your plants.