Latest News

Landscaping With Gravel

If you’re looking to renovate your garden and want to create a space that is both easy to install and easy to maintain in the future, a garden with heavy use of Gravel is the solution for you. We have taken the initiative to create a handy dandy guide that will give you garden design ideas utilising Gravel, how to implement these ideas and create a simple Gravel landscape of your own, and finally how to maintain this garden. We hope you find our tips and tricks useful and consider using Gravel for your next garden project. At Stone Zone we currently supply Golden Gravel in 10 and 20mm; Pea Gravel in 10, 14, 20mm and finally Moonstone Gravel in 20mm

Gravel Landscaping Design Ideas

There are a variety of ways you can use Gravel within your garden, and we understand all the information available all over the internet can be a little overwhelming, that’s why we have created 7 garden design ideas where Gravel is the star of the show that will hopefully inspire you for when you start working on your garden.

Gravel on your Patio

You will find that many patio areas are heavy on hard landscaping with large areas covered in paving or decking. In order to add more variety and texture to the area you can have pockets of areas where paving hasn’t been installed and fill the area with gravel that will go well with the colour of your paving and the colour scheme of your garden in general. You can leave these areas as it is or can consider adding plants or other garden features such as a water feature or fireplace to make it more aesthetically pleasing. Finally, your patio is a great place for shady corner garden ideas, that implement Gravel to create a unique, understated look.

Japanese-style raked gravel

If you want to create something more unique and want to have a more zen garden, then maybe think about creating a Japanese rake garden. Although it may look complicated, creating this garden design is fairly straightforward and essentially follows the same process as creating any gravelled area (instructions below), with the added factor of going through the entire area with a rake at the end.

Gravel Feature with Edging

A fairly uncommon way of using Gravel is to get your hands on some gravel that is in different colours but the same size, and then use edging to create different designs and patterns in your garden. We recommend getting colours that match well with each other to create a truly beautiful feature. Using edging will not only neaten up your landscaping but also allow you to segment off different areas for your shingle which will add dimension to your garden. Here at Stone Zone, we are proud suppliers of CORE Edging that will work perfectly for this design idea.

Replacing Lawns with Gravel

Not everyone wants to spend their precious free time mowing lawns and tending to their garden, and Gravel can be the answer to your struggles. If you really want to commit to a no-lawn garden, replacing it with Gravel is a great and easy solution. Having a large expanse of gravel in your garden will allow you to fill the area with plants, and other garden features like water features raised plant beds and more. Plus, as a bonus, depending on what colour gravel you choose, it has the potential to give your garden a Mediterranean look and feel.

Walkways with Paving

A very popular design in modern gardens is the implementation of a stepping-stone walkway. To create a real fairy-tale vibe in your garden, a great addition would be to create a large area in your garden that is filled with a variety of gravel and other decorative stones and then to add slabs (that you can be cut in any shape you want them in) to create a pathway across your garden. The beauty of this design is that you can design this area to be as big or small as you want. One option can be to have a pathway leading all around your garden, or maybe leading to a sitting area, or even one leading to your front garden – you have a variety of options to play with.

Adding Plants and Trees

Having a gravel-dominated garden does not mean you are restricted from growing plants and greenery around your garden. Although the common practice is to add drought-resistant plants within gravel areas, that doesn’t mean you can’t install all kinds of plants through the gravel. You may even think about getting raised plant beds if you don’t want to go through the hassle of digging through the gravel and the weed membrane. Plus, you can always plant greenery that is already in pots to make life a little easier.

How to Design a Gravel Garden

As with all garden projects, the first step is to choose the correct material. Carefully decide what colour and size of gravel you want to install in your garden. We think it’s to get ones that will go well with the rest of the colour scheme of your garden to create a more cohesive look.

The next step is to carefully analyse your garden and decide where you want the gravel to go. We strongly recommend choosing a spot that has good soil drainage and a little sun.

If you are thinking about using only certain parts of your garden then the best way to achieve this is by using garden edging. Having gravel within such margins will make the entire area look tidier and more professional. You have 2 options when considering edging, you can either purchase our flexible, steel edges from CORE, or you can go with a more natural option like fashioning borders using boulders.

Now that you’ve got the basics done, it’s time to carefully measure out the area you have chosen for your gravel. This is important because with this information you can use our handy calculator that will tell you how much gravel you need for your project.

The next step is to start digging. The best way to ensure that you have a durable and long-lasting gravel area is to dig deep enough to reach 4 inches. Make sure to keep the dug-out area as neat as possible. Once you have dug out the area, carefully level it. Then go in with a layer of crushed concrete, then a layer of weed fabric for extra protection. Also, make sure that you have edging installed around the border of the area.

Finally, you can lay out your gravel, make sure to lay down at 3cm worth for it to be secure and sturdy, once that is complete, your Gravel Landscape is complete!

How to Maintain a Gravel Garden

As we have stated earlier, maintaining a gravel garden is much more straightforward when compared to other garden features, if you follow our steps, your gravel area will remain fresh and clean for the foreseeable future.

Use a rake or leaf blower to keep the area free of stray leaves

As we stressed before, having a weed membrane will do wonders to keep your garden looking tidy as no pesky weeds will be able to penetrate through the weed fabric.

Finally, you will note over the years that the gravel has become sparse and uneven, that is why we suggest that every few years, you purchase more shingles and keep the area topped up so it’s level and doesn’t seem empty.