Pebbles and Gravel are Great for Adding Interest to a Garden
A couple of bags of pebbles or gravel are great for adding interest to a garden but also help with drainage, edging lawn or beds, preventing soil erosion, and just for an all-round low-maintenance garden.
29/05/2023
Pop into the garden centre at your nearest Builders store to grab a couple of bags of pebbles or gravel that you can use to decorate and define your garden. Pebbles not only look good for edging around lawns, borders and beds, but they are excellent at helping to drain a water-logged garden or to add to a water-wise or indigenous garden design. If you are looking for ways to improve the design of your garden over winter, we have more than a few ideas to provide you with the inspiration to get started.
The Value of Good Landscaping
Maintaining a garden can be time-consuming and quickly take over any spare time you have. Landscapers know the value of having a few tricks up their sleeve, tricks that they can put to good use in a garden, particularly a garden that requires little maintenance but provide a serene retreat where you can kick back and relax on your time off.
Garden landscapers use many materials to put together a well-designed garden and it is these elements that help a garden design come together. Rocks and pebbles are a common feature in gardens, particularly when it comes to highlighting certain areas of a garden or focusing on a natural or indigenous garden.
A simple and affordable way to define the edge of a lawn is to make a clear boundary along the edge using pebbles. For a stark contrast use white pebbles. Multi-coloured or natural pebbles work extremely well for a rustic or country garden approach.
Pebbles as Edging around Lawn or Flower Beds
Pebbles are an easy way to add both interest and incorporate a natural edge to beds and borders or even around the edge of lawns and the good news is that you can purchase assorted colours and sizes for as little as R60 per bag at your nearest Builders store.
When placing pebbles as an edging around lawn be sure to put down a strip of landscape fabric to prevent weed growth in between the pebbles. It is also a good idea to use a durable lawn edging that will make it easier to trim around the edge of the lawn and not disturb the pebbles.
Pebbles or Gravel in Paths or Walkways
Pebbles offer an affordable DIY way of edging a variety of landscaping materials such as lawns, beds and borders, and even paths and walkways that lead you into or through a garden. Rather than have a plain edge, incorporate pebbles for added interest using colour and texture.
Not only can pebbles be used for decoration but they are also great as a mulch to preserve moisture in the soil.
Pebble Paths through the Garden
Use small pebbles or gravel for paths and walkways in combination with other landscaping materials rather than using concrete. An advantage of this is that the gravel or pebbles offer a permeable surface that allows rainwater to be absorbed into the ground rather than pool on the surface.
Small gravel chips or pebbles do look great when used in conjunction with other elements such as the faux-wood path below that creates a wonderful walkway at the front of the house.
Pebble or Gravel Beds
For the homeowner who wants a beautiful garden without all the hard work, pebble beds reduce the work but still add to the overall look of a garden. Rather than soil beds that require constant attention, cover the area with landscape fabric to prevent weed growth and spread pebbles over the top. This idea is the perfect solution for areas in the garden that tend to get frequently washed away in heavy storms or waterlogged.
Cut down on labour when gardening by incorporating pebbles or gravel into the garden design.
Pebble Beds around a Swimming Pool
We all known that chlorine or salt is not ideal for plants or grass around a swimming pool, but that doesn't mean you can't still have decorative beds. Fill surrounding beds with pebbles and place plants in tall pots around a swimming pool or pond.
Fill surrounding beds with pebbles and place plants in tall pots around a swimming pool or pond.
