Progress!

While all the components were still in the back yard, I constructed a prototype to see how the pieces would fit together.

Once I got everything transported to the front yard, it seemed obvious that the stones fit together better in the opposite order from how I had them placed initially. I dug a shallow trench for the log to rest in and removed the dead, matted sod from the planting area. I also trimmed out some tree roots and loosened up the soil about six inches down. The stones are stabilized with some smaller rocks wedged in from the inside of the planting area. 
  

Plants are in place! In the center we have yarrow in the color paprika. On either side it is flanked by potentilla, variety Abbotswood. These are terrific, low maintenance plants that have meager water requirements. The plan is to expand this rock garden a little bit every year. I hope to keep it in this organic, free-form style using found materials like the log and rocks I scavenged from the back yard. The largest portion of the cost was the plants at around $15. Throw in a funky clearance-priced ornament and a two buck bag of topsoil, and the cost of this little project came in at $22. All that remains to be done is weeding and some cleanup under the junipers next to the house followed by spreading out the previously documented pile of mulch. Once that is complete, I can put in the ten Russian sage plants waiting in the garden. The finishing touch will be placing the solar lights I picked up for a buck apiece last week!