Using rocks and gravel in your landscape is an art form of its own. Whether you want a natural rugged landscape that boasts practicality or something smoother and more polished, you can make gravel work for your outdoor aesthetic.
Why Use Gravel In Your Landscape
The options are limitless when it comes to using gravel in your landscape. Gravel hardscaping can add cohesion, class, and style to your landscape. Think past the driveway and consider these decorative stones for:
- Walkways or paths
- Patios
- Dog run
- Terraces
- Entranceways
- Firepit area
- Playground
- Garden beds
- Landscape art and design
Selecting Your Gravel
We recommend using pea gravel to fill some of your landscaping needs because of its versatility and cost-effectiveness. These tiny, naturally-coloured smooth rocks can be used for almost everything, including as a replacement for flower mulch. You can find them in hues like green, white, rust, grey, beige, and even translucent. Of course, there are plenty of other options for landscaping stones available for your outdoor space. If you’re at a loss, feel free to contact us, and we’ll help you assess your hardscaping needs.
How to Use Pea Gravel In Your Landscape
Get creative with how you use pea gravel in your own landscape. To avoid frustration, make sure it’s contained within some edging to prevent it from spreading to areas you don’t want. For edging options, get creative—you can try brick, decorative stone, or metal.
Mix Pea Gravel and Larger Stones
Use pea gravel as an accent or filler for larger landscaping stones like limestone or flagstone. If you’re creating a walkway, for example, you can use the large stones as stepping stones and pea gravel around them to enhance their beauty. The larger stones also help contain the smaller pebbles to a specific area.
Gravel for Raised Beds
Create unity throughout your landscape by using gravel around raised garden beds—and it makes an ideal mulch for your flower beds (think way less weeds!) Keep in mind that come fall and spring, you won’t be able to rake up the rocks as easily, so invest in a leaf blower to blow off residue that falls on the gravel.
Pea Gravel and Epoxy
If you love the ease of gravel but want a smooth finish and to prevent scattered stones, you might consider combining pea gravel and epoxy or cement, plaster, or polyurethane. This process will create a smooth, hard surface to use as a pathway or entertainment area. The finished product will look like flooring made out of tiny rocks!
Gravel For Container Plants
Create a clean aesthetic for your container plants by using smaller pebbles as filler. Succulents are especially pretty if you’re looking to create a calming oasis.
Using Gravel as a Focal Point
Not only does gravel cut down on maintenance time and cost, but it can also help to enhance your other hardscaping investments. If you have a water feature, show-stopping shrubs and trees, or anything else you’re particularly proud of, use stone features to lead the eye (and the feet!) right to that stunning focal point.
If you have any questions about how to use gravel in your Edmonton landscape, come visit us. We’ll help answer any landscaping questions you may have.
