Q: I have a front yard rockery that was entirely covered in juniper and heathers and is at the bottom of a slope. I removed all the plants because I wanted to start over and create a beautiful flower and succulent rockery garden in its place.

Should I be concerned about the stability of the rocks now? Do I need to replace the junipers with some kind of plant that will help with soil erosion and rockery stability?

— Laura Vanderpool, West Seattle, Wash.

A: Landscape architect John Vittum said ideally the rocks should be repositioned so they’re more stable. He suggested starting over from the base of the slope and partially burying the first course of stones in a trench, and then placing the other rocks above them at an angle so they rest against the slope. Backfill with soil.

If you don’t want to move the rocks, he suggested planting shrubs such as Gro-Low sumac, Blue Rug juniper, Japanese Garden juniper or a low-growing variety of cotoneaster.