When considering ways to spruce up your landscape, many people tend to lean towards adding mulch to their landscape. However, if you’re looking for a more low-maintenance option, decorative stone is a beautiful and versatile way to freshen up your landscape.

Decorative stone varies in the shapes, sizes, and colors it is available in. Haynes Materials offers 8 types of decorative stone, and there are many ways to use them. Below we’ve highlighted 5 ways to use decorative stone in your landscape.

Create a Container Garden

Container gardening is when you grow plants in containers rather than planting them in the ground. In order to build a container garden using decorative stone, you can set up a designated area in your yard and fill it with the stones. If you make sure that this area is within reach of your sprinkler system, you’ll not only have a beautiful container garden, but you also won’t have to remember to water it. A container garden creates a beautiful space for plants that is low maintenance due to the decorative stone and the proximity to the water sprinkler.  

Replace Mulch with Decorative Stone

While you can use mulch for multiple reasons in your yard, there are also spaces in your yard where you can replace mulch with decorative stone. You can do so in areas where mulch is not being used to fertilize the ground. For example, if you’re lining the area around your patio with mulch, you can try adding decorative stone instead. The stones add texture and color to the area and require less upkeep.

Create a Pathway

In addition to being used to line a patio, you can also create a pathway from your patio to another area of your yard using decorative stone. Decorative stone will have to be replaced less often than other materials used to create pathways, allowing this to be another low maintenance alternative. Additionally, decorative stone can add a pop of color. In areas that receive a lot of rainfall, stone is a great material to use for a pathway. The weight of the stone will help the pathway stay in place more so than other materials, such as wood chips.

Recreational Areas

While creating that pathway, consider adding a recreational space using decorative stone as well. This space could be designated for your grill, picnic area or even surround a small pond. Some other unique ideas are to create a small sanctuary in your yard by adding a seating area and a small bird or hummingbird feeder. Creating a recreational area with decorative stone can form an oasis in your yard.

SOS for Problem Areas

Many yards have “problem areas,” or those areas where there’s water drainage or the grass is always dead. Luckily, those problem areas can be covered up with decorative stone. You can create a dry creek bed where there is water drainage. As earlier mentioned, because of the weight of the decorative stone, there is less chance of the water moving the stones. This decreases the amount of material you will have to replace to keep the “creek bed” maintained. You can also turn that area of dead grass into a recreational area.

Trying to decide how to use decorative stone in your yard can be challenging, but there are many ways to mix and match. Do you want a recreational area that sits away from your house? Consider adding a pathway too. There are many potential options.

There is a lot to consider when buying and using decorative stone, so speaking with experts will be beneficial to help your landscape thrive. Interested in improving the health and look of your lawn and garden? Check out our decorative stone options at Haynes and contact us to request a quote today.