Is Gravel the Right Choice for Your Yard?

We've all seen it; in parking lots, in yards, in mountains, or in public parks. It comes in all shapes and sizes; from the size of a pea to the size of a watermelon. What is it? It's gravel, the easy to care for, low maintenance landscaping tool. When you have that free spot in your yard, and are looking for something to beautify your landscaping; look no further than gravel.

Gravel is usually made up of small rocks, usually of all different types and mineral makeups. From quartz to igneous, gravel's got it all; giving it color and diversity. Gravel is also available in different kinds of specific rock, such as red-rock, and pure soap quartz, for variety.

Depending on the size of the area you have to work with; I would even recomend playing with different kinds of gravel to give it different texture and add artistic value to the decor.

Small gravel, known in vernacular as 'pea gravel' because of it's size, is usually a good filler, if you have uneaven ground, or if you have a very limited space.
At the other end of the spectrum, you have your River-Rock, which includes rocks from 2-10 pounds each. If you have a large area, river rock is a stellar option, because it looks fantastic. [However, if you have small children; be cautious, because these larger rocks are harder to navigate on, and you certainly don't want to turn your yard into a mindfield for the little ones.]

Preparation

When it comes to laying a successful gravel bed, preparation is everything. [You will need a tape measure, some gloves, weed poison, black plastic or gravel fabric for this step.]

First, scope out the area for your new gravel bed. If it's already covered in grass, or worse yet, weeds, you will need to get all of it out of there to the bare dirt. Measure the area to determine how much plastic and weed killer you will need. Also, if you want to use different types of gravel and make patterns with it, determine where you will put your molds now. [to use as molds, most home imporvement stores sell long black rolls of durable plastic separators. They're also used to line flower beds.]

These are typical gravel rocks.

Credit: Geek Philosopher

Copyright: Geek Philosopher