Rock & Stone Landscaping

Discover how decorative stones can transform garden features, highlight structures, and even dynamically create contrast in your outdoor space.

When it comes to landscaping, stone and rock elements are an effective and aesthetic choice. However, the problem that many people come across is how to choose the right kind of stone for their needs. The good news is that below you will find a guide to some of the most popular landscaping rocks and stones, along with valuable expert advice on which ones to pick to achieve your specific design goals. Keep reading to find out more.

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Decorative Gravel (⅜"–1")

What Is Decorative Gravel (⅜"–1")?

Lightweight but still incredibly stable, this decorative stone landscaping material comes in volcanic, river rock and limestone options, among others. Small in size but extremely durable decorative gravel at ⅜"–1" is the perfect choice for low-maintenance ground cover.

What Is Decorative Gravel (⅜"–1") Used For?

Aesthetic Ground Layers

Adding texture, colour and interest to your outdoor space, decorative landscaping gravel is also highly functional. Use it as ground cover for walkways, flowerbeds and even around the bottom of your trees to pull the look of your garden together, while allowing water drainage.

Gap-Filling Around Stepping Stones, Pavers And Mixed Stone Pathways

Mixing decorative gravel with stepping stones provides an excellent combination of functionality and aesthetics. Not only does decorative gravel landscaping give your paving a cohesive look, but it also helps to prevent erosion. Gravel can also help level out the surface between stones, making it safer too.

Subtle Borders

Whether you are looking to create an edge for your walkways, ponds, or garden beds, decorative gravel is the go-to choice. Not only is it fine enough to pour with accuracy, but the wide variety of different materials that it comes in means you can choose either contrasting borders for interest, or matching borders for a more subtle look.

Guidance On How To Choose Decorative Gravel For Your Project:

• Choose brown pea gravel for laying around shrubs and garden beds.
• Black lava rock is a great choice for accenting stepping stones, walkways, fire pits and even ponds.
• White pea gravel can create a clean accent to other types of stone landscaping.

Buy Decorative Gravel (⅜"–1"), Here!

River Rock & Beach Pebbles (1"–5")

What Are River Rock & Beach Pebbles (1"–5")?

Beautifully polished by the constant flow of water, these types of pebbles are smooth to the touch. They are robust but also have a softer and more organic look compared to other types of rocks and stones, and they come in a wide range of attractive natural colors.

What Are River Rock & Beach Pebbles (1"–5") Used For?

Highlighting Pathways, Entryways & Sculptures:

River Rocks and beach pebbles in sizes ranging from 1” to 5” are a great choice for drawing attention to outside focal points, such as pathways, entryways, and sculptures. This is because their more rounded nature can add a little softness to outdoor stone features, more easily blending them in with their natural surroundings.

Additionally, river rocks and beach pebbles are incredibly low-maintenance. In fact, these accent stones for gardens require far less work to maintain than choices such as grass, which needs regular mowing, and will do an effective job at keeping weeds at bay at the same time.

Raised Beds:

River Rocks and beach pebbles in sizes ranging from 1” to 5” are also perfect for raised beds when placed in a layer on top of the soil, especially ones in the 1’’-3’’ range. This is because they can be used to minimize water evaporation and keep all that lovely moisture that your plants need to grow in the dirt.

Heavier pebbles and stones of up to 5’’ are great for edging raised beds, as they won’t be moved around by the wind or by you watering your plants. This means they will remain nice and stable, even over time, helping to keep your garden looking its very best.

Poolside Edges:

Finally, when River Rocks and beach pebbles of 1”-5” are also ideal for poolside edges and borders. This is because they are naturally smooth and so are a much better choice for bare feet that are commonplace around a swimming pool!

Their organic and unique forms can also help to soften the edges of man-made pools. This can help to successfully integrate your pool into the natural landscape.

Guidance On How To Choose River Rock & Beach Pebbles For Your Project:

• Choose larger stones to highlight garden features
• Choose a smaller stone for any surface you plan to walk on
• If you want a modern look, choose river rocks or beach pebbles in grey
• Lighten darker and more shady areas with light coloured stones.

Buy River Rock & Beach Pebbles (1"–5"), Here!

Crushed Stone (½"–2")

What Is Crushed Stone (½"–2")?

Crushed stone in ½"–2" size is made via a mechanical process. Larger granite, limestone and sometimes other types of rock are passed through powerful pieces of machinery like cone and jaw crushers, which smash them down into smaller fragments. Crushed stone is not polished, so it retains a more angular look.

What Is Crushed Stone (½"–2") Used For?

Xeriscapes

If you are looking for a structural texture option that works well in a water-efficient landscape, then crushed stone is ideal. One reason is that, because of its angular shape, crushed stones will have plenty of gaps between them, which makes them perfect for water infiltration.

Additionally, this type of xeriscape stones comes in a range of different types and colors, which means you can add color, texture and interest to your outdoor space, without even adding plants!

Rock Walls

Crushed stones of this size are also a good choice for rock walls because they are a great way of filling in any gaps that would otherwise make the wall weak and unstable. At the same time, crushed stones are erosion-resistant, which means they’ll last for a long time and help you cut down on any maintenance and upkeep.

Decorative Ground Layers

Whether you are looking for a sleek, elegant look (black rock granite) or a more decorative sparkling aesthetic (crushed marble 1-2), crushed stone is a sound choice. Indeed, you can use crushed stone on its own in shallower spaces or even use it underneath larger stones to create an even layer with good drainage.

Guidance on how to choose crushed stone for your project:

• Choose finer crushed stone for the base layer and for compaction
• Select larger, more angular stones which will interlock for stability as the top layer
• Consider using unusual colors to add interest, like green limestone or marble.

Buy Crushed Stone (½"–2") Here!

Large Rock & Boulders

What Are Large Rocks And Boulders?

When it comes to landscaping, large rocks and boulders are a must. Used for a multitude of purposes that you will find below, these materials consist of irregular stones cut from rip rap, armour rock, and even gabion stone.

What Are Large Rocks And Boulders Used For?

Focal Points & Garden Sculptures

Larger rocks and boulders are used for garden and outside focal points because they have the size needed to create a real visual impact and grab attention. Particularly well-suited to larger garden designs, boulders or large rocks can be used on their own to create dramatic sculptural elements that attract attention while still fitting in well with those that fit well with their natural surroundings.

Anchors For Rock Gardens

Boulders and larger rocks are also well-suited to use as anchors for rock gardens. Their larger size means they act both as an effective stable layer on which other stones can be aesthetically placed. Mixed decorative stones can also act as a framework that can show you where smaller stones and plants should be positioned.

Framing Major Landscape Features

If you are looking for a type of rock landscaping material that offers a natural, but effective barrier, then boulders and large stones are also an excellent choice. Perfect for outlining edges of fountains and ponds, these garden rock accents can be a great way to create a clear, but organic-looking boundary.

Guidance On How To Choose Large Boulders And Rocks For Your Project:

• Larger boulders and rocks are measured by their narrowest point
• If you are looking for durability, choose limestone or granite versions
• For a more organic look, choose stones with an irregular shape
• Flat stones are best for areas where there will be seating

Buy Large Rock & Boulders, Here!

Rock Garden Mix Stones - (Mid-Sized Stones)

What Are Rock Garden Mix Stones?

Rock garden stones tend to be a mix of any mid-sized stone, including crushed stone, pebbles and river rock.

What Are Rock Garden Mix Stones Used For?

Layering

The first use for mixed mid-sized stones is layering. Due to their size, they are well-suited to being layered underneath other types of landscaping, such as paving stones or patios. The major benefits of using them for this purpose are that they will create an even foundational layer that ensures a successful build.

Contrasting Textures

Another reason to choose rock garden mix stones in mid sizes is that there is a range of different options available from lava rocks to slate or even pebbles. What this means is that it's very easy to achieve the precise look you are going for, or even mix stones for a contrast of textures.

Building Multi-Level Decorative Arrangements.

Rock garden mixed stones of around 1.5’’ are ideal for use in multi-level decorative arrangements. Include pathway stones for added texture, as a focal point, or even for borders or organic-looking paths through your outdoor space.

Guidance On How To Choose Rock Garden Mix Stones For Your Project:

• For an organic feel, use whole stones to line features
• Driveways need to be covered with more durable stones like granite or limestone.

Buy Rock Garden Mix Stones Here!

Border & Edging Stones

What Are Border & Edging Stones?

Designed specifically for edging pathways, as well as flowerbeds, driveways and seating areas, border and edging stones offer clean lines while keeping gravel contained and your garden neat.

What Are Border & Edging Stones Used For?

Lining Pathways

Whether the main part of your path is gravel or mulch, creating a border of stone down each side can make it look complete. The great thing is that this stone borders landscaping will also keep the gravel or mulch on the path where it's supposed to be, preventing it from moving around your outside space.

Lining Driveways & Seating Areas

By choosing a robust option such as crushed stone, you can create a durable border for your driveway or seating area that will survive whatever the weather throws at it, and keeps looking great.

Lining Flower Beds

A popular choice for lining flowerbeds, edging stones can be used to delineate the space between beds and lawn, as well as between different growing areas, including flowering plants and vegetables.

Guidance On How To Choose Border And Edging Stones For Your Project:

• Size selection should be based on the needs of your decision.
• Mix different colored stones to create contrast
• Use angular stones if you need drainage

Buy Border & Edging Stones Here!

Choose Gravelshop.Com For All Your Landscaping Material Needs!

Here at Gravelshop.com, we offer only the highest quality landscaping products. That means you can rest safe in the knowledge that the product you buy will be both durable and functional.

Our dedicated expert team is also always on hand to answer any question you may have about our products, from what sizes and colours they're available in, to what the best landscaping material choice for that specific job you have in mind is.

We are also dedicated to ensuring our prices remain competitive, ensuring that you always get the very best value for your projects without compromising on quality.

Last of all, in the unlikely event that there is an issue with your order, our friendly and competent customer service team will resolve it fast and get you the materials you need!