Susie - No, I tried the rock garden thing & found it to be too boring. I have 1 rock bed, but my irises & yarrow are slowly taking over that section, which is fine by me. I also have some Russian Sage & a butterfly bush in that particular bed (very very tiny bed, it's a thin pie wedge about 20' long, but comes to a point at the tip & is about 4' wide at the widest point in the back. I had another rock bed in the front, but that became a weed bed, so said to hell with it & plowed it under. I had lots of Ice Plant in that particular bed, which grows nicely, but my dogs like eating the flowers, so I had a very boring rock area. I have another rock area that I'm slowly going to be removing the rock out of.. all that is growing there is milkweed (a true weed as I didn't plant it), a purple Thundercloud plum, & some blanketflower. The entire rock area is slowly being re-landscaped.. the front part I don't even classify as part of the rockbed 'cuz it's got lots of roses (Orange Velvet, Rose Marie Viaud, Charles de Mills, Betty Boop, Henry Fonda, Ruby Ruby, & a Lady Banks that's going entirely crazy). I also have a Theresa Bugnet next to my fireplace (this rockbed is right next to the house) and that rose is growing like mad as well. The other rockbeds I'm plowing under or scraping out. I hate rock.. as hot as it gets! Bleh! I love mulch, and that's what I'm doing everywhere.. mulch mulch mulch. Keeps the soil much more cooler & healthier. There are some absolutely GORGEOUS rock gardens here.. the Xeric Rock Garden in Colorado Springs is to die for, but I love my roses too much & they hate rocks.
