Six of the most popular ways to decorate a garden with stones are as follows:
1 - Create a stepping-stone path
As a warm and natural part of our landscape, stones are a wonderful adornment to any garden, adding almost unlimited colour and flair. A stepping-stone path gives structure and flow to a garden. It can link two areas, such as a terrace and a pond, connect lawns, or just provide ease of passage in the garden. Additionally, a stone path can help disguise a patchy lawn or protect the grass in areas of heavy footfall.
Equally at home on gravel and grass, a stone path should be evenly spaced to suit an average person's stride length and larger, flatter stones are more suitable. Sandstone slabs are great for stepping-stones as they not only have a fairly flat surface but also a patterned surface area, which gives increased visual definition. Sandstone isn’t always a uniform thickness, though, so a path for the less sure-footed garden-goers could be Cotswold or Yorkshire stone, providing a smoother tread.
2 - Decorate a flowerbed, or a barren/unsightly area
Just as there are hundreds of different plants for a garden, so there are many types of rocks and stones, ranging from pebbles and shells straight from the beach to large mountainous boulders. Use the wonderful array of stones and rocks to liven up a flowerbed, vegetable or fruit area and also borders, creating a strong visual contrast to plants and flowers by adding structure and variety.
Stones and rocks can also help to define the shape of a bed and its boundaries. If there's barren areas or places where it’s difficult to grow things, these awkward places can easily be disguised with rocks and stones. Boulders can act as a natural barrier to block or screen off areas of the garden that are better hidden. They’re also good as a deterrent for areas not to be entered or for blocking an unsightly view outside of a boundary.
3 - Create a Zen garden
When we think of peace and tranquility, often a Zen garden comes to mind. Zen gardens are minimalist and close to nature with lots of rocks, stones and sand as vital components. They’re very much in fashion at the moment and edging stones and rectangular shaped rocks can be used to create a Zen enclosure. Clustering larger rocks together in groups can build an impressive statuesque rock feature or, alternatively, smaller smoother stones grouped together exude warmth and friendliness.
Sand can also be added as another basic component, mingling with the smaller stones. Plants such as bamboo and tall grasses are the perfect companions to stone and small waterfalls springing up between the smooth contours and tall stems provide a really relaxing atmosphere. Rocks and stones used in a Zen garden are very durable and give a totally unique look. With wood, trees, shrubs, water features and garden ornaments dotted around, one can create a fresh and natural garden that mimics a coastal or mountain setting.
4 - Use large boulders to landscape and divide the garden
Boulders and large rocks are wonderful landscaping tools and can add depth and structure as well as divide a garden naturally into sections, even if it’s small. Place boulders between beds or planted areas to create themes based on particular plant types or colours, to separate a vegetable garden from a flower garden, or to fill gaps in areas where plants and foliage are lacking.
Rocks make a garden appear full and lush. Consider using very large boulders and rocks to provide extra privacy in areas that may be overlooked by neighbours, or to block unpleasant views. Larger boulders and rocks are a good masking technique to hide certain things away, such as the garden hosepipe, the kids' play equipment or the compost heap! Garden stone doesn't have to be purchased as it can be reclaimed from places such as quarries or construction sites, or even gathered on a visit to the coast or beach.
5 - Blend stones with water features
Small, smooth stones make excellent embellishments to water features in a garden, enabling the water to run over the stones to create interesting and varied patterns and sounds. Ponds with waterfalls or water fountains cascading over stones provide the wonderfully calming sound of trickling water, mimicking a running stream and giving any garden a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere.
Stones and shells typically found on a beach are ideal for any water feature and can easily be gathered in a couple of outings. Stony water features of all shapes and sizes are colourful, dynamic and sonorous and will delight the senses every time. Larger rocks, provided they're the right shape, can be placed next to water features to entice people to come, linger and rest for a while, soaking in the atmosphere. Use the stones and rocks in curves rather than straight lines to add much more interest to the feature and area as a whole.
6 - Create a rock garden or rockery
Rockeries, also known as rock gardens, have always been popular and are still very much with a place in the modern garden. Not only are they a great way to show off certain types of plants such as alpines but they're also relatively maintenance-free. Larger rockeries are quite an investment in materials, with stone, rock, slate and gravel all necessary ingredients and may need professional help to build, but smaller rockeries are very feasible as a DIY project.
Use local stones and rocks wherever possible so they blend in with the more expansive environment of the local area. Choose a variety of stones of differing sizes to build a natural looking rocky outcrop, heaped with earth in between the stones to create the bed for the plants to grow in. Rock gardens are particularly useful in that they can provide elevation to an otherwise flat and uninteresting area and can be built on sloping ground too, with the right structure.
Equally at home on gravel and grass, a stone path should be evenly spaced to suit an average person's stride length and larger, flatter stones are more suitable. Sandstone slabs are great for stepping-stones as they not only have a fairly flat surface but also a patterned surface area, which gives increased visual definition. Sandstone isn’t always a uniform thickness, though, so a path for the less sure-footed garden-goers could be Cotswold or Yorkshire stone, providing a smoother tread.
Stones and rocks can also help to define the shape of a bed and its boundaries. If there's barren areas or places where it’s difficult to grow things, these awkward places can easily be disguised with rocks and stones. Boulders can act as a natural barrier to block or screen off areas of the garden that are better hidden. They’re also good as a deterrent for areas not to be entered or for blocking an unsightly view outside of a boundary.
Sand can also be added as another basic component, mingling with the smaller stones. Plants such as bamboo and tall grasses are the perfect companions to stone and small waterfalls springing up between the smooth contours and tall stems provide a really relaxing atmosphere. Rocks and stones used in a Zen garden are very durable and give a totally unique look. With wood, trees, shrubs, water features and garden ornaments dotted around, one can create a fresh and natural garden that mimics a coastal or mountain setting.
Rocks make a garden appear full and lush. Consider using very large boulders and rocks to provide extra privacy in areas that may be overlooked by neighbours, or to block unpleasant views. Larger boulders and rocks are a good masking technique to hide certain things away, such as the garden hosepipe, the kids' play equipment or the compost heap! Garden stone doesn't have to be purchased as it can be reclaimed from places such as quarries or construction sites, or even gathered on a visit to the coast or beach.
Stones and shells typically found on a beach are ideal for any water feature and can easily be gathered in a couple of outings. Stony water features of all shapes and sizes are colourful, dynamic and sonorous and will delight the senses every time. Larger rocks, provided they're the right shape, can be placed next to water features to entice people to come, linger and rest for a while, soaking in the atmosphere. Use the stones and rocks in curves rather than straight lines to add much more interest to the feature and area as a whole.
Use local stones and rocks wherever possible so they blend in with the more expansive environment of the local area. Choose a variety of stones of differing sizes to build a natural looking rocky outcrop, heaped with earth in between the stones to create the bed for the plants to grow in. Rock gardens are particularly useful in that they can provide elevation to an otherwise flat and uninteresting area and can be built on sloping ground too, with the right structure.
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