Clumps of pretty pasque flowers (Pulsatilla vulgaris) were blooming cheerfully in Kathy Allen’s rock garden during the author’s recent visit. The prominent golden stamens stand out against the flower’s light purple petals. The juice of the petals was once used to dye Easter eggs in some European countries.

“[Kathy Allen’s rock garden is] a plant collection first and a garden second, her priority being to put plants where they will thrive, rather than where their colors will complement the surrounding plants or some other design consideration … Whatever her method for planting, the resulting low tapestry of incredible plants is hard to argue with.”

— Joseph Tychonievich, “Rock Gardening: Reimagining a Classic Style,” 2016

I’ve intended to visit Kathy Allen’s Central Point rock garden for years, but somehow I never got around to actually doing it until I read her profile in Tychonievich’s book. When I finally made it over to the garden on a recent sunny Sunday afternoon, at first I thought I had made a wrong turn because there was no sign and the long, gravel driveway off Taylor Road seemed to be leading me astray.

But, no. When I parked the car next to a cow pasture, I saw a small group of volunteers from the Siskiyou Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society crouching in the rocky pathways that crisscross several raised berms near Allen’s home. They had come to help her weed the extensive garden to get it ready for its opening to the public in April.

When I met Allen, she was kneeling among the rocks and plants along with everyone else, protecting her knees from the sharp gravel with a well-used pair of knee pads. I immediately had two thoughts: I hope I’m still gardening when I’m 80 years old, and I must get a pair of knee pads for weeding. (So much better than having to haul a kneeling cushion around the garden!)

I felt a little guilty for not helping out, but I quickly left the weeding party to wander around the garden on my own. Many of the plants were not yet blooming, but those that were flowering (and others that were not) were some of the most unusual I’ve ever seen. In fact, Allen told me later that I would need to come back every two weeks to witness how the garden changes throughout the seasons.

She’s had many years to do just that. Allen moved to the 10-acre parcel of land in 1987 and soon began building the rock garden herself, one raised berm at a time. She started by hauling in 10 yards of gravel, ten yards of sand and 10 yards of topsoil, using a small cement mixer to combine it all with compost she made onsite.

After building each mound, Allen brought in rocks in the bed of her truck and placed them around the garden, and then she created paths with ¾-inch crushed rock. After planting the berms, she used ¼-inch gravel for mulch. It took her three years to build the entire garden, and she continues to add new plants.

Allen has had a lot of plants to choose from for her garden because she’s been growing and propagating rock garden plants for decades, after a neighbor gave her some sedums and inspired her to build her first rock garden.

I asked her why she was attracted to rock garden plants and she said, “You don’t have to stake them like many tall perennials.”

She began wholesaling plants for the local NARGS plant sales and the Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery, and then sold plants directly to customers at the Rogue Valley Growers and Crafters Market and the Jackson County Master Gardener Association’s Spring Garden Fair.

In 1997, Allen switched to selling plants to the public from her nursery at home during one week in the spring and one week in the fall. In addition, she opens her garden for public tours from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays during April through October.

Over the years, Allen’s become the “rock star” of the Rogue Valley. In addition to hundreds of loyal local customers, she’s been featured in “Sunset” magazine and several gardening publications, including Tychonievich’s book.

This spring, she plans to sell out her inventory of plants and then retire from the nursery business, although she told me she’ll still open the garden for tours. The spring plant sale is slated for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, April 19, and Saturday, April 20, at 2850 Taylor Road in Central Point.

I checked out the nursery and saw hundreds of potted plants that Allen has grown from seeds she’s collected from her garden or from the NARGS Seed Exchange. In addition, Allen has propagated several kinds of dwarf irises that are suitable for rock gardens. A good way to shop for plants at the sale is to stroll through the garden first to see what the plants will look like when they’ve reached maturity.

On my way out of the rock garden, Allen and company were still weeding. In fact, she told me that keeping the garden weeded is one of the most challenging tasks. Some weeds grow up through the gravel and are particularly difficult to get at between rock crevices, she said. I thought there might be an invitation in her words, but I just smiled and told her I’d see her at the plant sale. Walking back to my car, I told myself I would’ve stayed if only I had a pair of those awesome knee pads!

(Thanks to Gail Klodszinski for providing information for this column.)