Landscaping rocks add dimension, texture and character to your garden. Some of the ways you can utilize rocks in your garden are with stepping stones, garden paths, benches, walls, fire pits, or borders around flower beds and trees. If you have a large piece of property, you can use boulders as focal points.

When it comes to colors, shapes, and sizes your choices are numerous; river stone and pebbles, cobble stone, moss rock, pavers, surface boulders, quarried boulders, flagstone, veneers, decomposed granite, and decorative rock in many colors just to name a few.

Where to find rocks:You can find rocks at your local nursery, landscape supply outlets, garden stores, on-line landscape companies, rock & gravel companies or, if you live in a rocky area, you can probably find stones and rocks for free.

Selection and use in the landscape design:As with any plan, you’ll need to decide exactly what you want to accomplish whether it be stones used as an accent path or random boulders used as focal points. You’ll want to consider the overall design and theme of your garden and how different types of rocks or stones will fit aesthetically into that theme. You’ll also want to consider the style of your home and how your design will compliment that style. River rock looks beautiful in whimsical gardens just as boulders or flagstone compliment a hacienda.

Designs & themes:When you have a theme in mind it makes it much easier to plan the design because there are set ground rules to follow. This helps narrow your choices and keeps you from being “stumped.” A landscape design that is planned around a theme will, like the common thread, unite all of the various elements such as plants, pathways, hardscapes, and landscape rock, thus creating harmony and peace.

Don’t just drop your rocks and call it a day:Plan where you want each landscaping rock to sit. It’s easy to end up with an unnatural feel by placing rocks in perfectly measured distances from other rocks or randomly dropping them on the ground with no rhyme or reason. Natural rocks don’t work that way and it will look “forced.” Also, for a more natural look, take the time to bury the rock a little. What you want to achieve is a natural balance – every stone needs to be placed with a purpose so when you stand back and look at your garden you should have a sense that all is good with Mother Nature. How much rock will you need? To calculate the square footage just measure length times width of your yard then multiply the two figures. Once you determine how much ground you’re working with you’ll want to determine how much rock you’ll need. Using 1” decorative rock? Then divide the square footage by 100. Using ½” rock? Simply divide by 120. If you’re using minus grade rock then divide by 150 or 160. This will give you a pretty accurate picture of how much tonnage of rock you will need (when spread to a depth of two inches.) When you’re working with landscaping gravel it’s recommended, for best coverage, to spread the gravel about 2 to 3 inches deep.

Last, but not least, things to consider: When you’re choosing your landscaping rock always consider the size, weight, color, placement in the landscape, and how it will tie into your over-all theme. If you’re planning to use boulders you’ll need to consider the transport cost to get the boulders to your property and, once the boulders are delivered, whether or not a bobcat or loader will be necessary to place the rocks in your landscape. If heavy equipment is necessary then make sure the equipment can safely maneuver around your other plants without destroying them.

For the best advice, planning, and designing consult one of our professional, licensed CalFinder contractors in your area.

Landscaping Irrigation / landscaping gardens / Landscaping Rocks