10 Creative uses for pebbles, rocks and stones in your garden

Gardens are an important part of your home – whether it is a front garden or a back garden, this outdoor area of your home boasts countless benefits to your everyday life. It gives you a place to relax during sunny summer days, entertain your guests with barbecue get-togethers and enjoy family time all-year-round. But the benefits of gardens don’t stop there. Elsevier’s Landscape and Urban Planning published research conducted by the University of Exeter and the Royal Horticultural Society charity which analysed data from nearly 8,000 people collected by Natural England between 2009 and 2016. This research found that “people who spend time in the garden are significantly more likely to report general good health, higher psychological wellbeing and greater physical activity levels than those who do not spend time in the garden.” It comes as no surprise that new house buyers are looking for properties with gardens or at least balconies. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors found that 81 per cent of surveyed contributors working in the sector across the UK “felt that there will be an increase in desire for properties with gardens or balconies”. However, keeping a garden space looking its best might not always be an easy task. Perhaps you don’t have a green thumb and don’t know what to do with your outdoor area. Maybe you have a small garden and feel like there’s not much you could do with it. Whether you are unsure what to do with your garden or need some inspiration, we have put together some easy ways to add more flair to your outdoor space. We believe that a little goes a long way, that’s why we think that small details can truly make a space more interesting. This is where decorative aggregates come in. You might know these as garden stones or as decorative stones. Either way, there are a variety of aggregates in all sizes, shapes and colours that you can use to spruce up the look of your garden. Discover some projects you can do with pebbles, stones and rocks to transform your garden into a beautiful living space. Rockery Also known as rock gardens, rockeries are landscape displays of both rocks and plants in a garden space. These often use stones, gravel and other rocks with a variety plants, most commonly hard-wearing plants. We supply a variety of stones for gardens that you can use to create a rock garden, including 20mm gravel and 50-80mm Scottish cobbles. Rockeries are extremely low maintenance and can attract an array of wildlife to your garden! Check out our easy-to-follow step-by-step guide on how to build a rockery. Garden Path Garden paths are a quintessential feature of any garden. Footpaths and walkways are a practical addition to any home; these provide a stable platform to safely walk and connect important parts of your garden and your home, including a footpath from your garden to your home. These paths can also be incredibly decorative, elevating the style and design of your landscape. You can either create a path made of the one type of stone or create a multi-texted pathway that features more than one type of stone and/or landscape material. Both types of stone paths can add a touch of personality and elegance to your garden. There are various types of materials you can use to create garden paths, including gravel, slate chippings and mulch. Some of our most popular choices include 20mm pink granite chippings and 20mm Staffordshire pink gravel. Gabion Projects There are plenty of different landscape projects that you can create with gabion baskets filled with gabion stones. From gabion wall features and gabion fences to more creative projects, including gabion benches and gabion barbecues. These create a bold and stylish statement piece that is versatile and practical. Use gabion stones that match your landscape to unify the theme of a garden or choose different coloured stones to make your gabion project stand out. Some of our best-selling gabion stones include Dove grey gabion stone, Harvest buff gabion stone and Rustic gabion stone. Rock or Stone Firepit An outdoor fire pit allows you to enjoy your outdoor space with friends and family comfortably no matter the time of day. Fire pits are a sophisticated addition to the garden and invite a sense of relaxation, socialisation and warmth. You can create DIY firepits with large stones or enhance your current firepit with smaller stones. Ground Cover Rock, pebble or stone ground covers can brilliantly mask any neglected or bare areas of ground within the garden. Not only are they sleek in appearance, but they also help cover areas with weeds, soil and uneven ground. Choose mixed coloured aggregates to create a more visually interesting surface, such as 20-40mm Scottish pebbles. Ground covers are great additions for tree bases and flowerbeds and add character to any bare garden space. Another good alternative for these spaces is garden mulch, including cockle shell mulch and landscape bark. Mulch protects soil from erosion, improves drainage, suppresses weed growth and much more, being vital for the health and wellbeing of plants. Rock & Stone Patio Rock and stone patios are a sleek addition to any garden. Relax, unwind and enjoy the outdoors in this extended living space. Rock and stone patios are extremely durable, resistant to cracking and weed growth. They are also easy to install, low maintenance and come in an array of beautiful colours. Rock Box If you’re tired of cleaning up trails of sand from your child’s sandbox, then a rock box may be the perfect solution for you! Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and give your child a clean and aesthetically pleasing outdoor play area with a rock box. Sunshine and Play recommend pea gravel for children’s rock boxes as it is safer than sandboxes. “Aside from being a choking hazard, pea gravel is considered a safer alternative to sand. It doesn’t attract animals like sand does, and it’s less likely to become infested with bacteria, mold, and parasites.” Drainage Add stones and pebbles to exterior under-drain covers for a better aesthetic and improved drainage system. Also, small rocks can also be used to cover plant soil to prevent water loss by reducing the temperature and shading the soil. Flowerbed & Pathway Edge Rock, pebble and stone borders for pathways or flowerbeds are a unique way of adding that finishing touch to your garden space. Edging with rocks, pebbles or stones is not only cost-effective and easy to install, but it also offers amazing design flexibility. By virtue of this design, you can edge these materials easily around any flowerbed or pathway shape. Water Fountain A rock or stone water fountain provides a tranquil and calming ambience for any garden. You can choose to purchase a water fountain and embellish it with decorative aggregates or simply add aggregates to the bottom of your water feature. When wet, stones will boast a brighter and more striking appearance that will add that little extra to your garden’s water feature.