Stone Landscape Beds

When it comes to landscape beds around your house you can choose a variety of wood mulches or stone in several different sizes colors and shapes. Please for the love of nature DON'T USE RUBBER mulch. Sure it never needs replaced until it has all sunk into the dirt or bounced out into your grass and drive way. But it doesn't ADD anything to your soil and think....do plants grow well in petroleum? Now I know you're saying that's the point, weeds wont grow in it. First that isn't true...second wood mulch deteriorates and adds organic mater to the soil improving your ability to grow plants. Rubber mulch will never do this. If you want a "permanent" landscape bed material consider stone. It at least isn't a negative toxic substance to plant material such as the roses and flowers you might be growing.

In in picture I have an assortment of large edging stone mixed with small pea gravel. Some customers prefer a more uniformed look. I like the mix because the pea gravel will block out more sunlight from reaching the soil beneath One issue to consider when landscaping with stone is are you wanting any plants to spread. The Calla Lillies in the back are going to have a tough time spreading. Especially if you use landscape fabric which I did not.

However if you want to allow a plants to spread maybe incorporate a wood mulch area inside your stone as I did with the irises below.

Speaking of landscape fabric, it can help with keep weeds down. But be sure you choose the proper type for stone. Also care must be used in installation to keep unsightly edges of fabric working their way to the surface between the mulch/stone. Nothing looks worse than corners of fabric standing up in a landscape bed. Another thing to consider is landscape fabric will eventually build up dirt ontop of the fabric where weed seeds will grow. Leaves and debris degrade and turn into an area seeds blowing in the wind land and germinate in. However with regular maintenance (blowing debris from your beds) and diligent weed control you can keep your landscape bed looking great for years without annual re-mulching as require with wood mulch.

One other possible benefit to landscaping with stone around your house. Some customers have claimed it's reduced the amount of critters such as spiders in their house. Does it for sure? hard to know. But food for thought when considering wood mulch or landscape stone!