Rocks and boulders can be an excellent accent piece in a garden, a landscape, or even as a front yard feature. The problem with deciding on how to integrate rocks and boulders into your landscape is the amount of purposes they serve and all the options there are to choose from!
Big rocks or little rocks, many rocks or a couple, featured stand-alone rocks or pea gravel in place of mulch? How is one to sort all of this out? We are going to help you narrow it down and give you some options and ideas on how to incorporate some of the best landscaping rocks and boulders into your front yard rock landscape.
How to Landscape With Rocks and Boulders
Think about what purpose you want your rocks and boulders to serve. Perhaps you are being environmentally conscious and cutting back on plants that need to be incessantly watered, or you’d like a couple of feature boulders in your landscape to bring focus to something, or even to be a focus themselves. Below are some ideas that will help you decide.
Rocks and Boulders as Focal Points
- Address boulders: These are a fantastic way of making your address more visible from the road, they are quite elegant and classy, and they can be enhanced even further with some spot lighting.
- Bubbler boulders: Add bubblers to boulders as a front yard water feature. This is an excellent way to use a boulder for two aesthetic purposes.
- Garden-style boulders: Use these rock features as a nod to your landscape style, such as using dark and jagged “alpine” style boulders for a modern aesthetic, or opt for the soft, rounded look of river rock for a cottage-style appeal.
Rocks and Boulders as Accents
- Use boulders to pull focus to something else in your landscape, such as a sculpture or a unique tree or plant you love.
- Boulders can break up planting groups and add some shape, texture, and height to your landscape.
- Get eco-friendly and add some more rocks or boulders into your low-maintenance zen garden landscape.
- Accent boulders can also double as a useful tool in your landscape, such as diverting water runoff under your eaves, or be placed in a certain spot as a step or even stairs!
Rocks and Boulders That Serve a Specific Purpose
- Do you have a feature you’d like to hide in front of your house, like a gas meter or a hose wheel? A large, decorative boulder is ideal camouflage. Just make sure everything is accessible in the long term.
- Boulders can also work as a memorial. Place a stone feature beside a memorial tree or plant, or perhaps you’d even like to make a “memory” garden that includes a beautiful boulder to remind you of your lost loved one(s).
- Boulders can be an excellent way to add height to a low groundcover garden, a lawn that’s been replaced with groundcover, or a low annual garden.
How do I choose the best landscaping rocks?
Once you have decided on the purpose you’d like your rocks and boulders to serve, there are a few other things you should consider before making a purchase.
- Colour—is there a specific colour of rock you’re looking for? Do you want the front yard rock feature to match with anything? Accent with anything?
- Size—the rock or boulder size will depend on its purpose. Does it need to be big enough to feature an address or to cover a gas meter? Perhaps it could be a bit smaller to function as a garden accent or a grouping that will bring focus to a different feature like a fountain or sculpture.
- Texture— aside from aesthetics, texture can affect how you use these stone features. For example, flat, smooth rocks may be best for garden pathways.
If you need further information or help on how to choose the best landscaping rocks in 2022, come see us or book a consultation at Salisbury Landscaping. We have all the expertise you need to create the front yard rock feature you’re dreaming of!