Add Drama and Beauty to Your Landscape with Rocks and Stones

By B. E. Conrad

Every homeowner knows how difficult and time consuming a landscaping project can be, but there is one element of landscape design that never needs watering, never needs weeding, and which retain its good looks and charm not just for years but for centuries to come. I speak, of course, of rocks, stones and boulders. These unique and highly versatile landscape elements are among the most popular with homeowners and business owners throughout the world.

For many gardeners and landscapers, rocks and stones are an unwanted side effect of gardening, and rare is the gardener who has not cursed at all the rocks and stones turned up during a simple tilling of the garden. With a little bit of imagination and some planning, however, those formerly useless rocks and stones can be incorporated into lovely displays that actually enhance the beauty and charm of the landscape.

Rocks, stones and boulders have a number of uses in the landscape, from buried stones that can serve as lovely walkways, to larger rocks and boulders arranged into attractive and functional rock walls. No matter what your landscaping needs, chances are rocks, stones and boulders can fill that need.

Creating a simple walkway using stones is well within the skills of the average homeowner, and it can be a great project for the whole family. Simply burying a number of colorful stones and rocks in the earth and using them for a walkway can be a great enhancement to the landscape. For a more professional and polished look, there are a number of garden centers and home improvement stores that sell specially shaped paving stones for a professional looking walkway in a matter of hours.

And of course, large boulders can be used as part of virtually any landscape. These boulders can provide an element of drama and beauty, and a stark contrast to the trees, shrubs, bushes and flowers that surround them. Those in search of serenity and a great place to relax may even want to install a Zen garden, and perhaps a relaxing garden pond as well. There are as many ways to incorporate stones, rocks and boulders into a landscape as there are homeowners looking for a new way to landscape their homes.