When you think of hardscaping, you might be thinking of paved walkways and patio surfaces, but not all hardscaping involves pavement. It can also apply to using decorative gravel and aggregates in your landscape design.
You can enhance your existing garden with a simple change in color and texture from aggregates. From gravel to pebbles and egg rocks, there is a wide range of colors, sizes and types of stone aggregates available. Their variety provides a number of ways to use them in your landscape. Here are some ideas:
In Place of Mulch
When used in and around garden beds and shrubs, aggregates can aid in moisture retention and provide protection from the hot summer temperatures. Its low maintenance means that it won’t need to be topped off each season like mulch. Our gold or grey pea gravel is visually appealing when used in place of mulch and will add a new dimension to your landscape.
As a Groundcover
It can be used in large areas of your garden such as for covering slopes and placed along the edges of pathways where you might often think of adding groundcover plants. It’s flexible for filling in any size or shaped area and can reduce invasive problems of many groundcovers. We suggest pea gravel, pebbles or egg rock for a decorative layer in your landscape.
For the Surface
Lay it down as the surface for sidewalks, driveways, and other landscape projects. It will help provide natural drainage. It has the durability as a rock material while giving a softer look compared to concrete and pavement. And it’s the perfect transition material when moving away from a home into a larger garden or other area. Crushed slate, granite gravel #57 and pea gravel are great options for surfaces.
As a Replacement for Grass
It does well for areas of the yard where plants don’t grow well or when you want to reduce maintenance with less irrigation. And if you have bare areas where grass is hard to grow, consider covering the area with a decorative display of boulders and smaller aggregates. Since you are dealing with rock, the color won’t change over time. And it’s a cost effective way to cover an area.
In Place of Grout
When laying down pavers, choose smoother aggregates that don’t have sharp edges to fill in the space. Stones are very durable and offer a unique textural contrast with the pavers. Because aggregates come in different sizes and colors, you have options for how much spacing you want to fill between pavers. Our crimson pathway and mixes Mexican beach pebbles are beautiful choices to use between pavers.
As a Rock Border
Aggregates lined along path and garden beds give a finished look to a landscape. They can add a natural look to your garden while keeping plants contained in beds. Planting groundcover behind the aggregate border creates another effect when the groundcover starts to spread over the rocks for a casual look. Also popular is lining rows of different sizes and types of aggregates, such as beach pebbles, for a creative look.
When you use aggregates in your landscape, you are adding functionality along with the natural beauty of stone. Depending on your purpose, be mindful that some aggregates do not compact like others do. Fieldstone Center, Inc. has a wide selection of aggregates and can assist you in selecting the best ones for your landscaping project. Contact us at (770) 385-7708 for more information.