Gravel offers many benefits for your garden. It is best used for landscaping if you want to add a natural earthy touch to your yard. However, choosing the right type of gravel can be tricky.
If you are contemplating on what gravel to use for your landscape, it may be best to consider some factors. These include the effect of gravel on your plants, its functionality and whether or not they are aesthetically pleasing.
So, if you are looking for the right gavel to upgrade your landscape, it may be best to know its different types. You may also want to consider combining two or more kinds for a more invigorating look.
8 Types of Gravel for Landscaping
Below are some of the most common landscaping gravel used by most homeowners:
1. Crushed Granite Gravel
If you are looking to improve grounds maintenance Stourbridge your pathway or accentuate your garden beds, crushed granite gravel can be a good option. This is best used in areas where you want to prevent puddling from happening.
The best thing about crushed granite gravel is its cost-efficiency. It is affordable, attractive and easy to maintain. It can also be a good option for areas that receive too much traffic.
Crushed granite gravel typically comes in light grey but some are tan and earthy brown. It offers a soft natural look that complements any type of landscaping.
2. Decomposed Granite
Looking to cover pathways and driveways with a natural hue?
Try decomposed granite.
This type of gravel comes in a finer almost sandy texture but are perfect for open surfaces such as patios. When you use this in areas around trees or garden beds, they function similarly to mulch. It is considered a staple by landscape experts.
As the name implies, decomposed granite is the product of the natural weathering of solid granite rocks. They are typically within the range of reddish tan to brownish orange.
3. Pea Gravel
If you want to fill those bothersome spaces between your pavement and stepping stones, pea gravel may be the best option. Like how its name suggests, this type of gravel was crushed to the size of a pea. Each piece of gravel usually come in 6mm, 12mm and 19mm in diameter.
Pea gravel is best used as stone mulch in gardens. It can prevent the growth of those pesky weeds.
Although some landscape designers use this for driveways and path walks, it is highly recommended to use other types of gravel, like granite or base gravel. However, if you insist on using pea gravel, you may need to rake it regularly as they get displaced every time someone walks on or drives through it.
4. Aquarium Gravel
Essentially, aquarium gravel is used in fish tanks and terrariums but many landscape experts now use this for landscaping. It offers great aesthetics and functionality, especially for a substrate and other water features in the garden.
If you plan to include a garden pond in your landscape, aquarium gravel is the way to go. It provides a natural filter not just for the pond but also for other water systems in your garden.
5. Bank Gravel
If you are working on landscape slopes, bank gravel can help you achieve attractive and reliable structures. It offers a high water draining capacity preventing the occurrence of erosion. In addition to this, it allows landscape plants to grow undisrupted.
Bank gravel is categorised as a hybrid type of gravel because it is formed through a mixture of dirt, clay, pebbles and sand. Some landscape artists love to use bank gravel in filling gaps across the yard.
6. Base Gravel
Generally, base gravels are used, like the name implies, as a base surface for driveways and path walks. They offer stability and a high level of mechanical strength. This is why many homeowners choose this type of gravel for parking areas and paving substrates.
7. Blue Metal Gravel
If you are looking for decorative gravel, you may want to consider blue metal gravel. The best thing about this is that they can be used as-is or you can mix it with cement for added stability and strength in pavements or pathways.
Blue metal gravel comes in deep blue-grey sharp-edged pieces of gravel. It also comes in varying sizes between 10 to 20 millimetres in width. This type of gravel can also be used for drainage purposes and retaining walls.
8. Black Basalt
Another widely used gravel for landscaping is black basalt. Similar to blue metal gravel, this is a decorative type of gravel best used for garden beds and water features.
If you are looking for an elegant finish in your garden, black basalt is the answer to your woes. They are typically deep charcoal when dry and tantalisingly black when wet. The gravel size varies between 20 to 50-millimetre ballasts.
Did you find the gravel that will perfectly suit your landscape?
Contact Mezzaga’s Landscaping Services for the best gravel landscaping needs!
