Preferred Gravel for Landscaping: Favoring Light, Dark, and Coastal Varieties
Gravel, a humble and versatile material, has found its way into many outdoor spaces, offering a range of benefits and aesthetic possibilities.
For containing gravel within an area, edging materials like bricks, raised wooden edging, decorative stone edging, or metal edging strips are recommended. This not only keeps the gravel in place but also adds a touch of elegance to your garden.
Pea gravel, naturally smoothed and shaped by water, is a popular choice for pathways and high-traffic areas. Available in various colors and textures, it requires edging to retain its form. Pea gravel is a good option for defining a seating area without the worry of accurate levels and drainage.
Basalt, another strong gravel choice, is known for its durability. It's a suitable option for linking indoor and outdoor spaces with granite surfaces. On the other hand, Granite gravel, available in various colors, is a hard and durable stone, making it a good choice for driveways and areas that require a sturdy surface.
For driveways and pathways, stabilization grids like honeycomb or square celled grids can be laid on top of landscape fabrics to help further stabilize the area and prevent gravel from displacement, particularly for driveways. Examples of landscape fabrics include Black VidaXL Weed Membrane and White Spudulica GeoTextile Membrane.
Rubber gravel, recycled rubber chippings, is suitable for more utilitarian surfaces like play areas or allotment pathways. It's an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional gravel options.
Limestone gravel, versatile in color options and sizing, is softer than pea gravel and suitable for pathways, rockeries, ornamental water features, and lifting garden corners.
For boule courts in a garden, fine gravel or crushed stone with a grain size between 2 and 6 millimeters is the best choice. It provides good drainage, firmness, and a smooth playing surface.
Coarse grit should not be used in gardens. Instead, decomposed granite, hoggin, or self-binding gravels can be compacted to form a stable surface, permeable, suitable for sloping paths and transitions from garden to less gardened areas.
Shell gravel, a waste product of shells, is suitable as a decorative mulch around plants or for areas of path or patio, particularly suitable for coastal gardens. Marble gravel offers lighter colors and a smoother look, making it an excellent choice for adding a touch of sophistication to your garden.
Gravel can also be used to link areas of different material, such as from a terrace of stone slabs to grass, to help it feel more of a designed and integral feature of a garden.
For pathways, a gravel size of 6-10mm is recommended to be comfortable to walk on and not be too small as to be more like grit.
Slate gravel comes in shades of bluey-grey and black, also available in pinker tones, suitable for covering flower beds or edging areas.
Gravel driveways are a popular choice and can be spruced up if needed, with a recommended gravel size of 10-18mm to prevent getting stuck in tyre treads or getting displaced easily.
In conclusion, gravel offers a multitude of possibilities for transforming your outdoor spaces, from pathways and driveways to boule courts and decorative elements. With a wide variety of colors, textures, and sizes available, it's easy to find a gravel that suits your style and needs.
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