Five Types of Rocks for Landscaping
Landscaping with rocks is a popular landscaping style for all types of lawns, gardens and properties. You can use rocks to accentuate flowers, greenery and shrubs, or rocks can be the focal point of your landscaping. Rocks are great landscaping elements if you’ve been unsuccessful with flowerbeds or if you live in an area that doesn’t get enough rain to maintain a traditional lawn. You can create the appearance of a creek bank with rocks even if you don’t want to, or can’t, use water in your landscaping. Following are brief descriptions of five types of rocks for landscaping to help you develop a plan for your yard.
Rocks for Landscaping
• Pea stones are small rocks available in rounded or natural shapes. They come in white, gray, all shades of brown and natural blues and greens. Pea stones help keep down weeds and are perfect for filling in contained areas like flowerbeds. You can make plants stand out by surrounding them with pea stones. Pea stone walkways are attractive and functional. If you use pea stones to fill in a walkway or to create a path, you’ll need to line the area with landscaping timber, decorative brick or larger stones like boulders to keep the stones from being scattered.
• Shale is a versatile rock. If you want stepping stones, shale is a good choice because it’s rugged and attractive. Shale can be gray, almost blue, brown or a mixture of colors. Shale can be combined with pea stones or other smaller stones to add visual interest to a walkway. Shale is also perfect for retaining walls.
• Creek rock is a good choice if your home is rustic or if you want a “back to nature” atmosphere in your yard. Creek rocks are a mixture of shapes, sizes and colors. You can use creek rock for retaining walls and edging. Creek rock is perfect for a rock garden. The most common use for creek rock is to create a creek bed. Your creek bed can be dry, a stand-alone water element or part of a larger waterscape. A dry creek bed can wind around trees or through a garden, or you can use natural greenery and moss to create a lush appearance.
• Lava rock comes in gray, black and brick red. Dark red is the most popular color for flowerbeds or poolside areas. If you want to make a dramatic statement, use black lava rock in your fire pit.
• Boulders can be functional or they can be focal points in your landscaping. Boulders are excellent for retaining walls and rock gardens. Place plants around a boulder for a simple, understated look or use boulders to define a flowerbed.
We can help you select the best rock for your landscaping project. We use only the highest quality rock so that your landscaping retains its appearance for years. We also maintain your rock landscaping. Contact us for more information about landscaping with rocks and all your other landscaping needs.