Rock Landscaping Ideas That Increase Curb Appeal

Before selecting landscape rocks, think about where in your yard you could use them. You can use rocks to form borders along beds, separate different garden areas, create pathways and more. Once you decide where to place your project, calculate how many rocks you need:

• Use a tape measure to find the length and width of the area.
• Multiply the width of the area by the length.
• Take that number and multiply it by how deep you need the rocks to go.
• Divide the result by 27. This will be the number of cubic yards of rocks your project requires.

Landscape rocks and decorative stones bring texture and color to flower beds. They're also simple to maintain. Landscape rocks, decorative boulders and stones limit how much topsoil wears away and continue to look nice season after season.

Rocks come in a variety of shapes, styles, textures and colors. They range in size from pea gravel to large boulders. Choose from gray styles, white rocks, modern black rocks or unique looks, such as rose Mexican Beach pebbles that are tumbled for a smooth surface.

Red lava rocks, natural stone options like granite and creek stones or river rocks are also great choices.

Large river rocks or cobblestones can be used in place of grass, flowering shrubs or flowering plants. You can also use them to create a water feature, curbside border, zen rock garden or driveway. Or, place them around trees and shrubs to make borders.

Pavers and other decorative rocks offer a natural charm that will complement any outdoor decor scheme. Creating a paver walkway also gives a sturdy, stable surface for you and your family to walk on.

Budget-friendly and relatively easy to create even for first-timers, a crushed rock or gravel path can be straight, curved, small or large. Best of all, a gravel patio only requires a couple of inches of digging. Choose bulk rocks for large projects or bagged rocks for smaller jobs such as a walkway.

Tip: Use landscape edging such as treated wood, brick, plastic or metal to contain loose rocks.

Mulch protects against very high and low temperatures, keeps weeds at bay, holds moisture and improves the soil. Try contrasting the color of the mulch with your plants and landscaping rocks. Darker mulch helps vibrant flowers, trees and shrubs stand out and contrasts nicely with lighter rocks.

Whether you choose wood, bark, pine straw or recycled rubber nuggets, mulch also helps your flower bed, garden or lawn area drain.

When starting a rock landscaping project, dig out the area, level it and press down the soil to get the spot ready.

• Lay and cut your landscape fabric. Once in place, landscape fabric blocks weeds from growing and allows air and water to flow through. As a result, the material helps to create good soil conditions and you have less weed maintenance.
• Once, you've put your landscaping fabric in place, cut it to size and arrange your rocks. You can also quickly measure and cut holes for plants or around plants. Just use a utility knife to cut accordingly.
• Start planting. Group plants with similar needs together. Mixing and matching might look great, but it can make caring for your garden harder. Space plants according to their tag instructions, leaving plenty of room for growth. Your flower garden is much more likely to grow well if you're careful about spacing and light conditions.

Tip: A good practice is to stagger plants according to how high they may grow over time. Start at the back of your project area and work to the front.

Landscape rocks and mulch require very little maintenance, but you should do a few things to keep them looking great over time. Here are a few basic maintenance tips to keep in mind:

• Remove weeds from loose rocks and between or around pavers and large stones frequently. Don't let weeds take hold, or they may be more difficult to deal with later.
• Apply organic herbicide to wipe out any airborne weed seeds. Periodic use of granular or liquid herbicide is enough in most yards.
• Pressure wash rocks and remove rotting leaves and other debris when the seasons change. Pressure washing will keep your landscape rocks looking their best.
• Refill or replenish loose rocks and gravel in the fall and spring. Heavy rains and high winds may require you to refill more often.