How to Make a Rock Garden With Cactus for Kids

Prepare the planting area with your kids. Determine the area you wish to transform into a rock garden and draw an outline over the ground with the chalk.

Cultivate the soil with the garden spade, if necessary. Loosen the soil gently down to a depth of about 4 inches.

Place the medium rocks around the perimeter of the rock garden, covering the chalk line. Get the kids involved in creating the rock border.

Plan the placement of the large rocks. Depending on the size of the rock garden, you might need only one feature rock or you might need two or three. If necessary, have a strong helper situate the rocks where you think you want them and stand back to check the effect. Rearrange the rocks as necessary until they look the way you desire.

Dig the soil beneath the large rocks to bury about 1/3 to 1/2 of the feature rocks beneath the surface of the soil. Place the rocks into the prepared spots.

Paint a colorful sign on the largest rock with acrylic paints to identify the rock garden. Help kids name their garden if they desire and paint their names on the rock to create a vivid rock garden sign.

Provide at least one river rock for each child and encourage the kids to paint the rocks with the acrylic paints. Ideas for painting include adding bright colors and splashy designs, personalizing the rocks with names or painting special pictures. Allow the painted rocks to dry and then invite the kids to select special spots in the rock garden to place them.

Add the medium feature rocks to the garden to complement the large feature rocks. Bury these rocks in the same way you buried the larger rocks. Kids can probably help with positioning and burying these smaller rocks.

Plant a combination of cacti, succulents and other drought-resistant plants for a pleasing arrangement. Cacti varieties that kids may enjoy include "beavertail cactus," "rainbow cactus," "hedgehog cactus" and "barrel cactus." As you consider what to grow in your garden, plant in the ground those that will grow successfully in your geographic region year round or keep in containers those that you will have to bring indoors over the winter.

Cover the soil of the rock garden with small rocks as mulch. Use pebbles or flat stones as an attractive rock garden mulch, covering the soil with about 2 to 3 inches of stones.