If you are looking to add an appealing element to your home, then the natural stone would be a superb choice. Natural stone has a contemporary appeal that can be hard to match. There are a wide array of benefits that you can enjoy if you opt for natural stone over its alternatives.
When most people think of preparing their yards for landscaping purposes, they will consider removing rocks rather than inserting them. Over the years, rocks have gotten a bad reputation as being an eyesore or nuisance. In reality, stones and rocks can be quite beautiful when they are used as intended. You can incorporate natural stones into your landscape in many unique and creative ways.
Natural stone is quite versatile. It can be used in several landscape features and is highly recommended if this is your first landscape project. For instance, you can use it in order to help form fire pits, retaining walls, or pathways. You can also use natural stones as a type of decorative accent. Here, our focus will be on the benefits of using natural stone in landscape design.
Curb Appeal
Grass can be beautiful at times. However, it can also be a nuisance in certain circumstances. If your grass is growing too fast and too high, then it may take water away from your plants. Your plants may then lack the nutrients that they need, and may die as a result. You can use natural stones to prevent grass from growing. Tackle your weed problem at the source and help your plants live healthier and longer by using natural stones.
Another benefit of natural stone is that it can help enhance the curb appeal of your home. They say that image is everything. If this adage is true, then adding natural stones may help make your home look more attractive. If you are in the market to sell, then anything that you can do to help your home stand out and increase its value should be implemented.
Low Maintenance
The most important benefit of natural stone is that it is very easy to maintain. Wood is a high-maintenance material; it will require refinishing, polishing, and other types of treatment over the course of its life.
Natural stone, conversely, is a low-maintenance product. Shrubs and grass are also high-maintenance materials in the sense that they will eventually need to be mowed or trimmed. Natural stone will never require watering like the plants in your garden. It is very durable, and will not fade when summer arrives with its intense light and heat.
Natural stone will also look amazing 365 days a year. It is an all-season accessory that will always look good, rain or shine. Even during the drab winter and spring seasons, your natural stones will still shine, adding elegance and curb appeal to your landscape.
A Unique Centerpiece
If you own a contemporary garden, then you may look for something to add some flair or zest to it. You can install a monolithic natural stone with an abnormal shape in order to serve as the focal point of your garden.
An eye-catching natural stone that has an irregular shape can be a mesmerizing sight to behold. For those who have a small garden, perhaps a tidy and low-maintenance piece would be the better option.
Some people may have a small garden with an ornamental shrub that is rather disordered. For such a garden, it may be best to use a centerpiece that is orderly and also easy to maintain so that you can set it and forget about it.
Large stones work well for most landscapes. They will add some much-needed visual flair or appeal to any dull border areas that stand out.
Allow Rainwater to Infiltrate Soil
Asphalt and concrete walkways and driveways serve as nearly impervious surfaces. However, they may lead to virulent or excess stormwater runoff from time to time, and natural rainwater infiltration may be blocked.
Pavements that are impermeable and found around a property may thus reduce groundwater supplies in the area. You can use natural stone in order to help facilitate rainwater infiltration. The end result is the environmental resilience of the landscape will be significantly ameliorated.
Good Choice for Xeriscaping Landscapes
If you live in an area of the world that is heavily affected by droughts, then you may be seeking relief sooner rather than later. Natural stone landscapes may be able to eliminate two issues with one stone.
If you own native plants that are tolerant to drought conditions, then lava rock, broken granite rubble, and pea stone will serve as elegant mulches. Simply surround your drought-resistant native plants with one or all of the above in order to meet your xeriscaping goals.
Natural stone is also versatile enough to be used in a variety of forms for your landscaping needs. For example, you can use it for your architectural accents. Fire pits, sidewalks, and retaining walls may also benefit from the use of natural stone. Natural stone has a wide array of perks and will help foster a more enjoyable and usable space. It also looks quite stunning and is an exceptional choice for xeriscaping landscapes.
Help Create an Impact
Most people expect to see greenery when they enter a garden. Perhaps they are expecting to see a massive garden statue or a freshly mowed lawn. They may also expect a colorful flower bed, or maybe a decorative accent that serves as a reflection of your personality.
Why not break the mold and stun your neighbors with some bold natural stones? Natural stones have the power to be dramatic and even make a boulder-sized impact if they are used in the proper manner.
For example, if you feel that the middle of your lawn is lacking a certain je ne sais quoi, then you can place a Pennsylvania fieldstone boulder in the middle to serve as the centerpiece of your lawn. A more subtle approach would be to line your garden with a few bricks.
A paver walkway may also fit the bill nicely. Ultimately, it comes down to what your end goal is for your lawn or garden. In any event, you can use natural stones to really help create an impact.
Large stones serve a purpose that goes beyond aesthetic appeal. For example, you can use large stones as an anchor for your garden. Your flower beds can also be anchored down by adding some large stones to your garden.
A forlorn or bland garden or lawn can be brought to life by adding natural stones to the mix. They will give some much-needed depth and visual interest to your garden, and will really make your home stand out when compared to other homes in the neighborhood.
Some people may worry about finding the right stones for their garden. Worry not, as your landscape designer will source and set all the stones on your behalf. Or, if you happen to have a myriad of natural stones lying about, then you can move them around in creative and strategic ways to create your unique masterpiece. What was once a glaring eyesore can be transformed into a beautiful and unique creation with some creativity.
Create Some Separation
A good landscape will need some delineation in order to stand out. Lack of delineation will cause your pond, patio, flower beds, and other elements to be just a combination of “things”, without any real structure.
You can use stones, such as natural stones, in order to create the delineation that your garden needs. Metal, plastic, and other such materials are unnatural and unattractive. Natural stones will better help create the separation that you need.
They will also blend harmoniously into the design of your garden, so they actually serve two important purposes instead of one. For example, you can use weathered stone in order to give some shape to your garden beds. Weathered stone can also be used to enclose your vegetable garden or to outline the boundaries of different properties.
You can also use natural stones to create a marked separation between your home and the street. However, if you want a truly harmonious and natural aesthetic, then the stones that you install should be mixed with the natural design in question. For instance, a faux pas would involve lining up yards of stone like U.S. Marines in order to guard your flowers in perfect symmetry.
Feel the Real!
Natural stones are organic, inexpensive, and low-maintenance gifts from nature. They can also enhance the curb appeal of your home and stand out among a deluge of derivative homes in your neighborhood.
You can watch videos on social media or read landscaping blogs if you would like some more ideas on how you can use natural stones to enhance your home. You can also work together with a landscape designer in order to create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. The sky’s the limit!
