Advantages of using natural stones in the garden

Rock compositions made from natural stones are incredibly popular. They can be found in various forms in almost every garden. It is definitely easier to take care of them than to create them due to the necessary time and physical effort involved. They can take on very different forms, depending on the imagination of the person who decides to include such a decoration in their garden. But what are they made of and what are the types of natural stones commonly used as garden stones?

Classification of natural stones based on their origin

When planning to use stones in the garden, it is worth paying special attention not only to their visual aspect but also to their origin. This influences how they will look in the long term. Sedimentary rocks (which include, among others: sandstones, dolomites, and limestones) will gradually undergo a visible process of erosion due to weather conditions. This is associated with the rocks becoming covered in moss or patina. More durable are the so-called metamorphic rocks (such as: schists, gneisses, and marbles). The most resistant and hardest rocks include volcanic basalts and crystalline granites. After them, the influence of external conditions is hardly noticeable. When designing a garden, one can of course take into account the natural processes of rock surface degradation and incorporate them into the garden plan. This way, the area can seem wilder and closer to nature than to an urban human environment.

Advantages and uses of natural stones in the garden

Garden stones are natural rocks. The first advantage that comes to mind in the context of natural stones used in gardens is their incredible durability. Harder varieties are extremely resilient, resisting adverse weather conditions. It is worth noting their vast diversity both in terms of texture and coloration as well as size. Larger specimens can serve as standalone decorations in the garden or as a main element of a composition created in the garden. Medium-sized natural stones are usually used to create so-called rock gardens, outline raised beds, highlight the boundaries of individual zones in the garden or bed edges, as well as to build retaining walls that strengthen slopes. Small stones can serve as a material for paths between different parts of the garden, borders around arbors or homes. Small rocks also provide an excellent surround for a pond. They can also be used to mulch beds, accentuating the plants that grow on them.

Besides the visual aspects, the use of natural stones in gardening offers numerous practical benefits. Paths made of small pebbles are not only attractive but also incredibly easy to maintain. Garden stones themselves create a permeable layer – they do not retain water. This means that even after heavy rain, there is no problem with puddles. At the same time, the layer of stones slows down the evaporation of water from the soil. An additional benefit is the significantly reduced number of weeds, which usually cannot penetrate the layer of gravel. It is worth mulching delicate plants with small stones, in this way their roots will be better protected from variable weather conditions. When planning the spatial arrangement of the garden, it is also worth considering potential lighting for the beds - beneath the mulched stone material, garden lamp power cables can be subtly and effectively concealed.

The co-author of this publication is sklep.poradnikogrodniczy.pl - an online gardening store offering a wide range of products.