If you’re feeling like your garden is missing something, that something is most likely decorative stones. Yes, decorative stones are, as the name suggests, brilliant for upping the aesthetic of your garden, but trust us, they can offer so much more because they also offer various practical benefits and features to your yard.
Here, you’ll find a list of reasons what you’re missing out on if you choose not to use decorative stones in your garden. So, read a long story, and maybe you’ll find yourself seeing the cold, hard benefits and get your hands on some decorative stones.
1. They are low-maintenance
Unlike lawns, which need to be watered, mowed, deseeded, and fertilised regularly to stay in the best condition, a gravel garden requires much less maintenance. It just requires you to rake out the debris and pull out weeds every so often, and it’ll look good for quite a long, long time.
2. They provide beautiful pathways
Another practical aspect of using decorative stones is that you can create pathways in your garden. It not only makes your garden look more charming and inviting, but it’ll encourage you and your guests to wander around outside more often.
3. They are more environmentally friendly
In line with how low-maintenance using stones is, they also make your garden more environmentally friendly because you don’t need to water your garden as much. It’s a completely different aesthetic to your traditional green gardens, but opting to fill your yard with succulents, cacti, and stones means you’ll use a lot less water. It’s the way to go for those eco-warriors out there!
4. You can make gabion baskets
Decorative stones can also be used to make gabion baskets, which not only look amazing but can be used as walls, functioning as rockfall protection, preventing slope soil from sliding into the yard and helping prevent soil erosion. You don’t have to fill gabion baskets with stone, but using decorative stones is definitely the most aesthetically pleasing out of all the materials you can choose from and the most durable.
5. You can have a firepit
Want to get a fire going but have nowhere to do it? Using decorative stones, you can create a stunning and fully functional firepit where you can gather friends and family and just enjoy the crackle of the fire and the warmth of the flames. An important thing to note here is that you can’t just use any type of stone for your firepit as some do not handle the heat well and tend to explode. The best stones you can use for a firepit are:
- Granite
- Limestone
- Sandstone
- Lava rock
- Bluestone
- Flagstone
6. They help improve drainage
How does adding decorative stones to your garden improve drainage? Well, there are actually several ways in which stones help to improve drainage in your garden:
- They improve aeration – the gaps that rocks allow between them ensure better soil aeration and ensure that the roots receive adequate levels of oxygen
- Prevents soil erosion – using stones and rocks helps to anchor the solid and prevent soil erosion when heavy rain comes
- Prevents waterlogging – the stones prevent soil from compacting and, therefore, help to stop it from getting waterlogged and suffocating the roots
7. They may increase property value
Properties with beautiful landscapes that make use of decorative stones can be worth a lot more money than those without. The outside of the home is generally one of the first things that potential buyers are drawn to, and by strategically using decorative stones you can drastically improve the visual appeal of your home and make a good impression. Remember that by investing in the aesthetics of your garden, you’re not just making it look good, but you could potentially be increasing property value.
What are the different types of decorative garden stones to choose from?
The beautiful thing about using decorative stones in your garden is that there are so many different types to choose from. Here are some of the different types of decorative stones you might be interested in:
- Gravel
- Marble chippings
- Decomposed granite
- Cobbles
- Slate
- Pebbles
- Lava rock
Tempted to revamp your garden and add some decorative stones in Sydney? You can browse and buy decorative stones right here!
Final Thoughts
If you’re not using decorative stones in your garden, you’re missing out! Adding stones to your garden is perfect if you live a busy life and want something that will save you time, energy and water but still want a beautiful yard. So, if you haven’t considered it, maybe this is the time to get a few decorative stones and start adding a new dynamic to your yard.
