Whether you are in the process of landscaping your garden, or you are yet to start and are looking for ideas, rocks are something you should consider. Along with native vegetation, these can go a long way not just when it comes to the appearance, but also for creating borders and adding an extra layer of protection.
The Ideas 4 Landscaping site offers more than a couple of tips and tricks that are related to how to use landscaping rocks. What you should know is that there are more than a few different types, each having its unique purpose.
While some rocks are an ideal yardpro-20nt for organic mulch, others serve great when it comes to creating an aesthetically pleasing patio. Don’t forget that rock gardens have become quite popular in the past couple of years, so there is another idea.
Honestly, it all comes down to your personal preference, as well as whether you are planning to take your chances and experiment, or go for traditional landscaping designs. We are there to guide you through the types of landscaping rocks, and help you find the best use for these.
So what are you waiting for? Read on!
Are Landscaping Rocks Good for Mulching?
As we mentioned above, planting adequate vegetation is something that you shouldn’t miss out on when it comes to creating a beautiful landscape. However, once you have done that and ensured sufficient soil, there is a single step left, and it is related to proper mulching.
In most cases, people will go for organic mulch. It does have a couple of pros, including the fact that it reduces water evaporation, and may ensure better growth. Also, it is a suitable choice if you don’t want to worry about temperature issues and potential erosion.
However, these aren’t the best for the fact that you will need to replace organic mulch regularly (annually or more often). You will need to get the timing right as too early may cause late blossoming, and too late may result in weeds growing around your plant. Lastly, if you use too much organic mulch, it can stress out the vegetation that you have planted and cause a counter-effect.
Yes, rocks are not ideal in terms of the fact that they retain heat and thus raise the temperature of the soil. Also, it doesn’t offer the growing benefits that organic mulch does.
However, it is much better in terms of the fact that you will never have to replace a landscaping rock (unless it is lost), and your financial investment is much lower. This is not all as rocks do a better job protecting plants from natural conditions, including heavy winds, and even fires (keep in mind that organic mulch is flammable).
Lastly, these are just great if you were planning to create a rock garden landscape!
Is Rock Garden Worth it?
One of the best sources of info when it comes to rock gardening is the Ideas 4 Landscaping guide. Both cacti and rock gardens have become quite popular in the past few years, especially in the high-temperature areas including Nevada, and Arizona.
Before we discuss the different landscaping rocks types, we want to do the rock garden justice by determining whether it is a worthy investment or not.
Honestly, we find it to be a matter of personal preference. However, given the fast-paced lifestyle that most are living in the 21st century, it can be a great alternative given its low-maintenance.
First, rock gardens usually feature vegetation that is resistant to drought and harsh weather conditions, including winds and intense sun. The fact that you will get to enjoy a beautiful outdoor space even when the weather is not ideal is one of the rock garden’s advantages.
Additionally, you will have nothing to worry about when it comes to pruning and making sure that your garden is watered enough. Thus, instead of being overwhelmed by maintenance responsibilities, all you will have to do is sit down and enjoy the looks all-year-round.
One of the coolest things about a rock garden is that you can create a visual illusion by putting small rocks in empty garden space to make it look larger. Finally, this goes a long way when it comes to the overall aesthetic appearance and diversifying your outdoor space.
Different Landscaping Rock Types
As we mentioned above, there are more than a couple of uses for landscaping rocks. Not only are these going to add natural appeal, and probably increase the value of your property, but also work as a great mulching agent.
This is not all because rocks are only ideal for building patios, or border around your backyard. For this reason, we think it is vital that you are aware of the couple different rock types you can be working with.
Large Stone
There are a variety of things that you can do with stones. While we named this variation as large, you should keep in mind that these vary in size. Thus, you can get a couple that are the size of a small toy, and then also find those that are as big as few footballs.
While the main idea behind these is to be decorative, you can also find these a functional purpose. Frankly, we see large stones working the best as focal points of your garden.
By arranging them around a pond, or planting vegetation, you will be able to create a pleasing sight that is natural, and low-maintenance.
Flagstones
For creating a path within your garden, we think that flagstones are probably the best choice. These are much better than concrete, both for aesthetic reasons, and because ornamental grass can actually healthily grow around it.
Also, it doesn’t take as much effort, and arranging flagstones along the path of your landscape is something that can be easily done without the help of a professional. Thus, it is both an attractive and affordable rock choice.
Lava Rock
We understand that vegetation asks for regular watering. The primary way that you can help this issue is by arranging a bunch of lava rocks around the plants that you have set in your garden.
These are natural and usually come in black and red. While not seen as a common mulch, lava rocks can do a good job of reducing watering needs.
Boulders
These look great in a garden and can be made to be an aesthetic focal point. By arranging these around your backyard, you will be adding a more natural look.
We suggest that you check out Ideas 4 Landscaping before getting to the job.
Rainbow Rock
This type of landscaping rock is seen as multi-functional for a couple of reasons. First, the fact that it comes in a couple of colors allows the gardeners to experiment and create different vivid spots with rocks surrounded by diversified vegetation.
This is not all, as it is rainbow rocks are seen to be the best when it comes to creating a border for your landscape. Lining these up also works great when it comes to treating the weed issue, or filling the land.
River Rock
One of the best-looking rocks has to be river rock. It comes in a variety of sizes, with the most popular one being set at 3 inches. Still, you can choose variations between 0.5 and 6 inches.
What you should know is that this type is definitely not for mulching; this is a costly error that you shouldn’t make. Why? River rocks seem to increasingly retain heat and thus raise the temperature of the soil. This can eventually lead to stressed plants that eventually die.
Thus, we think that river rocks are best used as decoration along a flagstone path.
Pea Gravel
Lastly, comes the pea gravel. If we were to talk about looks, these are similar to river rocks. However, it would be best if you kept in mind that it is much smaller and has a more polished finish.
Pea gravel is the most commonly used rock for landscaping and decorating gardens. We find it to have a couple of uses. Unlike river rock, it is perfectly fine for mulching. This is mostly because it doesn’t retain as much heat, which is why soil will stay in optimal condition.
Conclusion
Landscaping rocks are a great investment not only because if properly planned, they are quite affordable, but also for the function that these can have. We explained how rock can be a great yardpro-20nt for organic mulch.
Also, it proves to be quite effective in terms of achieving an aesthetically pleasing appearance. However, the fact that there are a couple of different types of landscaping rocks is not something that can be taken lightly; you should know which kind is best in certain conditions before making a costly error.
We did do our best to highlight the most popular landscaping rocks, as well as the uses for these. Now, it is up to you to go ahead and make the most out of it.