There are many good reasons to include stone in your front and backyard. First and foremost, it brings a natural look to your landscape making the design of your yard fit into the space around it. Stone also adds tremendous impact by adding texture as well as varying sizes and colors. Stone is low maintenance, but you do have to sweep mulch or leaves off of it every once in a while. Finally, including stone adds a sense of age to your landscape, bringing depth and beauty to your newly designed yard.
General Advice about Using Stone in Your Landscape
We’re Not Creating a Quarry Here
Include stone as an accent to your landscape, incorporating it into an overall design. Plopping a rock – or a pile of rocks – into one space in your yard is going to look weird and manufactured.
Know Your Desired Look
Going to a stone lot can be quite overwhelming. There are a lot of choices, so it’s best to go with an understanding of the impact you are going for. You can find many interesting shapes, sizes, and colors for many uses – feature item, fill, walkways, ponds, waterfalls, etc. Working with a landscape designer who is familiar with the stone available in your area and how to use it can help narrow your design.
To Each His/Her Own
Rocks are subjective, just like every other aspect of landscape design. Just because every other home in your neighborhood sports a huge boulder in the front yard, does not mean that’s the right look for you. We have a client who cannot stand boulders! Design for your personal style to ensure you will like being in your yard for many years to come.
How to Use Stone in Natural Look Landscape Design
Boulders
When it comes to huge rocks, size does matter. Boulders are a great way to add a sense of age to your landscape, looking like it landed there naturally a long time ago. Our design philosophy is “enhancing the natural beauty of your backyard” so we believe that boulders should be incorporated into a landscape, not plopped randomly. They need to be chosen with a design in mind and placed appropriately. There is an art of using boulder in a landscape. There is nothing cookie-cutter about them; each one if different because they are not man-made. Remember, once you choose your favorites they have to be maneuvered into your landscape. A wheelbarrow and some friends are not going to cut it. Make sure you or your landscaper have the proper equipment to protect you, them, and your yard.
Water Features
Creating a natural-looking water feature successfully is all about layering. The intent is to mimic nature, where rocks of all sizes have been randomly placed together over thousands if not millions of years. If you examine how water moves in nature (we do this, often) you see that streams meander, ponds expand and contract, and creeks can go dry. These elements vary in nature and therefore can add that look of variety to your yard too. Boulders, stacked rock, small pebbles and river rock to line the bottom of a pond or stream can all be used to create a natural feel. Adding those larger rocks can make a water feature look like it has been there forever. It is the balance of structure and art that creates a beautiful backyard water feature.
Retaining Walls
It’s here where we are really considering structure first since we are usually holding up something behind the stone. However, that structure must be beautiful too! Natural stone can be cut into particular shapes to achieve what you need. You can also use large uncut rocks, depending upon the goal. Our point here is that many homeowners feel they have to go with manmade materials in retaining walls, but that is not always the case. Consult with a knowledgeable landscape design company to figure out your options.
Patios and Pathways
Flat rocks come in many sizes and colors offering many options for creating natural stone patios and pathways. Color variation is particularly exciting here. For example, Pennsylvania Bluestone isn’t only blue; it comes in red and brown too. Indiana limestone offers varying shades of white, beige and tan. Mixing colors within a stone species can add depth and texture to the flat, hard surfaces in your landscape design. You do not have to use manmade pavers!
If you are looking to create a landscape design that makes your backyard look like it has always been there, natural stone is a great way to achieve your goal. There is a plethora of choice, and the look will stand the test of time. Paver designs come and go with design trends – rocks stay the same. Think of it this way: by using stone in your landscape, you are adding natural history rather than a passing fad.
Questions about using stone in your natural landscape design? Contact us here, or give us a call at (317) 997-4803.
