Landscaping for Love and Laughter: Designs and Ideas

If you want to improve your garden and complement its plants and flowers, why not incorporate rock and stone into the design? Consider the following ideas for your property.

Gravel Pathways and Patios

For a rustic and classic look, install a gravel patio or pathway. A compacted base will be laid underneath to stabilise the surface. Then, on top, you can add decorative gravel to harmonise with your home and garden. Rock comes in many hues such as red, yellow, blue and blends of diverse tones, so you shouldn't have any problem choosing flattering colours.

Crushed stone with angular edges settles and fits together to shift less than rounded river pebbles that don't lock together so neatly. You can choose many different sizes for the gravel ranging from about 5 to 20 mm, each of which creates different effects. You'll never have to worry about puddles, as rainwater will drain through the top layer and the compacted base underneath. To keep the gravel in the designated areas, edge it with pavers.

Mulch

Spread smooth river pebbles across the garden beds if you want an attractive mulch solution. You could use all cream or a combination of dark blue and black stones, for example, to give rectangle garden beds a look of structure and organisation. However, some rocks absorb warmth from the sun, so include plants in your garden supplies that can thrive in such conditions.

Paver Outdoor Areas

Another way to incorporate the beauty of rock into your yard is to install pavers in outdoor areas. As the surface area of a paver is larger than on a smaller stone or pebble, you'll get to appreciate the colours and textures of the rock itself more clearly. Choose slate, granite or travertine or other species. Pavers are available in diverse shapes and sizes, which you can lay in decorative patterns.

An advantage of interlocking pavers over poured concrete is that you can lift out and replace individual ones should they become damaged. Additionally, pavers will allow you to redesign the garden in the future and shift a path or patio — you can simply reuse the same pavers. You can also gain access to plumbing pipes and wires in the earth underneath if they need maintenance or repairs. While you'll have to undertake work to put the pavers back, you won't have to start with entirely new material as you do when you pour new concrete, for example.

Contact a garden supplies store to learn more.