Creative landscaping suggestions for rock gardens
In the quest for low-maintenance, aesthetically pleasing garden designs, gravel gardens have emerged as a popular choice. These versatile spaces cater to various garden sizes and purposes, offering an array of benefits and plant suggestions.
For small gardens or courtyards, the combination of gravel with repurposed items or containers creates charming, low-maintenance spaces. Drought-tolerant plants such as succulents, lavender, and ornamental grasses complement the gravel's texture and conserve water.
Medium to large gardens can incorporate gravel pathways using flagstones or stepping stones for rustic visual interest and plant protection. Using varied gravel sizes and colours, along with interspersed wildflowers, shrubs, and native perennials, provides seasonal interest and breaks monotony. Plants like sedums, echinacea, and ornamental grasses thrive well with gravel mulches.
Special purpose gravel gardens can integrate features such as fire pits, water elements, or pool decks with heat-resistant gravel for safety and style, along with seating areas framed by gravel beds. Non-slip gravel surfaces make relaxing poolside comfortable. Low-maintenance, drought-resistant plants like rosemary, thyme, and catmint suit these areas.
Foundation or front garden beds framed with pea gravel can reduce soil erosion and highlight colorful perennials or flowering shrubs, creating cohesive designs with pavers and boulders.
Using gravel creatively—from circular beds and borders to pathways and functional patios—can reduce maintenance and water use while providing architectural structure that enhances plant forms and colours. Adding a pond to a gravel garden can attract wildlife such as birds, frogs, newts, and dragonflies.
Gravel gardens are an attractive way to create a drought-tolerant, low-maintenance display. A thick layer of gravel helps to suppress weeds in gravel gardens. Small areas of gravel can be utilized for planting herbs such as thyme between paving stones along a path. Silver-leaved plants like sage and the bright magenta flowers of rose campion are attractive against gravel backgrounds.
For heavier soils, dig in organic matter and grit to improve drainage. It's challenging to create a gravel garden on heavy clay soil. To make a gravel garden, prepare the planting area, lay out the plants, dig a hole for each plant, mix gravel into the soil, plant the plants, and add a 4-5cm layer of gravel around them after weeding.
Pots can act as focal points in gravel gardens, especially in limited spaces. Products for gravel gardens can be purchased from B&Q, Homebase, Stone Warehouse, Crocus, Organic Plant Nursery, Sarah Raven, Amazon, eBay, and other gardening stores. Low-growing plants such as creeping Jenny, Corsican mint, or ground cover sedums can be used in gravel gardens.
Avoid buying gravel that is too big for comfort and blending into the background; 10-15mm is a good size for planting areas and paths. Look for ethically sourced gravel, such as locally sourced or recycled gravel.
Plants for gravel gardens can be bought from Crocus, Organic Plant Nursery, and Sarah Raven. Gravel can be used to complement features such as rock gardens and water features. Gravel gardens are suitable for Mediterranean plants such as lavender, cistus, eryngiums, phlomis, bulbs, and grasses.
The best location for a gravel garden is in a sunny area with sandy, free-draining soil. Using airy, see-through plants and differing heights can create a modern gravel garden. Gravel gardens can be created in any size of outdoor space.
There are two options for what can be laid under gravel: bare soil or landscape fabric. Eco mats, made from organic material, can be a more environmentally friendly option. Choose a gravel colour that complements your hard landscaping or house.
Gravel gardens save time on watering due to their drought-tolerant plants and soil moisture conservation. Landscape fabric can be bought from Amazon, Crocus, and eBay. Gravel acts as a foil for plants and looks attractive beneath container displays.
Incorporating a gravel garden into a front garden or driveway can provide a softer look and be beneficial for wildlife.
Incorporating gravel beds around flowering shrubs and colorful perennials can create cohesive home-and-garden designs, reducing soil erosion and enhancing the aesthetic appeal of one's lifestyle. For a more contemporary look, using airy, see-through plants of varying heights in a gravel garden can design a modern home-and-garden atmosphere.
