How to make a gravel garden

2024 Author: Arianna Cook | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:23

Advantages and disadvantages of a gravel garden, the rules for choosing stone material and plants for its design, step-by-step instructions for creating a recreation area, caring for the site. A gravel garden is a kind of stone composition, decorated in the form of a steppe landscape. It is based on low plants and a dump of solid bulk material. We will learn how to choose and place all the components correctly so that they decorate the site from this article.

Features of a gravel garden

A gravel garden is an area where low-growing steppe and mountain plants are planted on a pebble, crushed stone or gravel base. Massive cobblestones are not used to create the composition. With the help of free-flowing material, a soft, loose soil, permeable to water, is created. This soil is suitable for many varieties of ornamental plants.

Backfill works best in the middle of a green lawn. So that the gravel does not crumble in all directions, the site is fenced off with a border or deepened by 5-10 cm. To create a decorative zone, only elements of a natural gray color are used, another color looks inappropriate. Correctly selected samples give the site a neat and effective look, which is very popular with summer residents and owners of mansions. A small area with gravel between flowers is called a flower bed.

The composition of the soil does not really matter, because you can pick up plants for any soil. In extreme cases, the fertile layer is prepared by hand by adding organic materials.

Such a recreation area is often created in the following cases:

To highlight the beauty of flower arrangements. In this situation, the pebbles emphasize the attractiveness of the plants, the shape and color of the flower bed. Areas with white backfill look especially good.
Such compositions will decorate the territory in places with a limited amount of water.
If the owners want to have a beautiful site, but do not want to spend energy on caring for it.
A resting area can be created in very small areas where there is no room for large plants. Even on a 1.5 m site² form the simplest compositions.
On the sunny side of the cottage, it is easy to decorate the territory in a Mediterranean style, and the shaded corners will be transformed by light stones and will seem light.
Usually, a gravel garden is set up in an open area near the house, but if desired, it can be set up in the depths of the green zone. There should be a source of water nearby for watering the plant.

Advantages and disadvantages of a gravel garden

The advantages of a recreation area are clearly visible in comparison with ordinary green spaces:

The technology for creating a gravel garden is very simple and involves its arrangement in the shortest possible time.
The gravel garden is considered a small maintenance area. To make it always look attractive, it is enough to periodically water the green spaces and clean the surface of debris. It will take a lot of effort to create it, but in the future, you will rest almost all the time.
The state of the decorative zone does not depend on the vagaries of the weather, even heat and heavy rain will not destroy the composition.
It will require a minimal investment due to the low cost of gravel, especially if inexpensive local material is used.
The garden can be laid out anywhere in the local area. The most inconvenient areas are suitable - in the sun, in a vacant lot, where nothing grows.
For landscaping, use steppe grasses that do not require frequent watering.
If necessary, it can be moved to another location.
In a gravel garden, weeds are much less than in a normal garden, due to the presence of backfill. Therefore, the site is weeded quite rarely.
The stones protect the roots from temperature extremes. It is warmer under the gravel in winter and colder in summer than on the surface. This property allows you to plant plants that do not tolerate overheating of the soil, such as clematis.
Under backfill, the soil retains moisture longer, so green spaces can be watered less frequently.
Thanks to the free-flowing material, water does not stagnate near the roots and goes down.
It is easy to hide communications under the decorative layer.

There are also disadvantages to a gravel garden. They are:

The surface of the site is solid.
Not everyone will agree with uneven ground. You should not equip a gravel garden if there are elderly people in the family.
It is unpleasant to walk barefoot on pebbles.
Bulk material is difficult to remove from snow and ice leaves in autumn and winter.
Even if deciduous plants are planted far away, the stone embankment is still clogged, and it will take a lot of effort to clean it.
If moles live on the site, they will quickly ruin all the beauty.

Gravel garden arrangement technology

The nature of the recreation area is reminiscent of meadow steppes or prairies. To get a good result, choose the most attractive elements and place them correctly. Recommendations on how to make a gravel garden in the form of a beautiful composition are given below.

Plant selection

To create a steppe landscape, plants are placed in random order, with large intervals. Buy types of different heights and shapes. If there is no water nearby, choose varieties that tolerate drought well. Consider the following options:

For landscaping, dwarf and undersized varieties are suitable - mountain ash, birch, willow. They are planted singly or assembled in groups.
The landscape is revived by coniferous tree varieties - thuja, dwarf pine, fir, etc. They look impressive in large ceramic containers that can be rearranged. Plant a juniper around the perimeter.
If you prefer shrubs, buy barberry and cotoneaster. They have leaves of an unusual shape, and red berries stand out against the general background.
Among herbaceous plants, crocus, geranium, poppy, forget-me-not, etc. are considered the best.
From groundcover, you can use all varieties, for example, stonecrop.
Consider options with pillow plants - Arends' saxifrage, Caucasian saxifrage, etc.
Don't place the seedlings too densely, they will ruin the whole gravel garden idea.
Flowerbeds with cereals look great.
To keep your garden looking good from spring to fall, plant varieties that bloom at different times of the year. For example, crocus blooms in early spring, followed by tulips. In summer, violets are planted in groups.
Pay attention to plants that look very good on a rock cushion. Architectural varieties differ in appearance and leaves. These include azalea, yucca, iris, bamboo.
The intensely colored plants stand out against the gray gravel background. For example, yew, thuja, spirea, Japanese maple.
Species with silvery or bluish leaves merge with the gray background of the pebbles. To create such a composition, plant lavender, immortelle, wormwood.

Selection of stones

Gravel backfill is the main element of the garden. Pebbles are rounded, angular, with or without chips, of various shapes, colors and sizes, capable of creating various effects. Quality material of the same size and correct shape for a gravel garden is sold in specialized companies. Simpler and cheaper pebbles can be ordered at the nearest quarry. When choosing a material, consider our recommendations:

For the arrangement of the garden, it is advisable to use the types of stones that are on your site or in the immediate area. So the recreation area will harmoniously fit into the surrounding landscape.
Choose material of the same breed.
Don't use cobblestones, which are rare in nature. These include variegated samples of various textures and bright colors. They can be used in small quantities and only as decoration.
Backfill from washed river gravel is allowed. It is usually dark in color, so the mass is diluted with colored specimens.
The diameter of the material used should be between 3 and 20 mm.
The weight of the stones can be approximately determined by the following proportion: to decorate a site with an area of 12-15 m² you will need 1 ton of material.

Creating a dump for a gravel garden

At the initial stage, it is necessary to choose the location of the composition and its shape. The garden surface should be flat. If there is a slope of more than 10 degrees, build terraces, otherwise the gravel will creep over time. Therefore, it is recommended to put stones of different sizes on the slopes.

Determine the composition of the soil. On heavy clay soils drainage is required, light sandy and loamy soils do not require water drainage.

Subsequent operations are performed as follows:

Mark the border of the section with a cord, securing it to the pegs.
Clear the area of plants. Inside the fenced-in perimeter, remove the soil to a predetermined depth, depending on the availability of drainage. If the soil is clayey, dig a hole 50-60 cm deep. In other cases, 10-15 cm is enough.
Examine the hole and remove all roots. In gravel gardens, weeds are a big problem.
Pour water over the pit and leave for 10 days. During this time, all remaining roots will sprout and can be removed again. If possible, treat the soil with a herbicide.
Dig up the ground in a hole and add baking powder - expanded clay, granite chips, etc. You can use peat and mineral fertilizers. Fill in fertile soil if necessary.
Compact the soil and cover it with geotextile. This synthetic material is permeable to water and air, but weeds do not grow through it. It will prevent the gravel from subsiding. A product with a density of more than 120 g / m is suitable for work. You can use thick plastic wrap instead. This material does not allow moisture to pass through, so make several holes in the canvas (5 by 1 m²), through which the excess water will go down.
In places where plants are planted, cut the film crosswise and bend the petals up.
Dig a hole in the soil under the cling film.
Fill the hole with fertile soil. The soil can be fertilized with organic and mineral substances.
Before planting, slightly moisten the soil along with the roots with water, and then squeeze in your hand. Cover the plant with earth and water abundantly. First, plant shrubs on the site and wait until they begin to grow. Then place carpet and perennial varieties between them. The last to plant are annual and biennial species that reproduce independently by seed. Take annuals in the spring, two-year-olds - in the summer, the best time for this is June, in this case they will delight you with exuberant flowering next year.
The density of plants should not be large, the site at the stage of planting green spaces should look deserted. Make a recreation area for the future.
Return the folded edges of the geotextile to a horizontal position.
Cover the free area with gravel or pebbles. The gray color of the pebbles and their rounded shape will look good against the background of green spaces. If plants are sensitive to frost, add a thicker layer.
Dig in stone curbs along the edges of the gravel garden. They will prevent nearby plants from moving to your property. The guards will also keep stones out of the grass area and prevent damage to the mower.

Compact the areas that will be intensively exploited. The operation is performed as follows:

Clear the area intended for paths, playgrounds, barbecues, etc., of plants and debris.
Remove the soil layer to a depth of 15-20 cm.
Line up the bottom.
Fill the hole with gravel mixed with sand and cement and compact it.
Fence the area with a low curb such as plastic tape.
Pour gravel of different sizes on the prepared base. The layer should reach 3-5 cm. After backfilling, re-compact the surface.

Plot decoration

To liven up the composition, several techniques are used:

The seating area will be more attractive if durable stones are used. Dolomite, marble, quartzite are suitable. The landscape will be diversified by shell rock, limestone, sandstone, jasper.
To save money on decorating, first pour a thick layer of gravel into the hole, and decorate it with a thin ball of colored pebbles on top.
In the recreation area, wooden flooring from sawn tree trunks looks good.
Walkways can be made of flat, large cobblestones.
Place stone lanterns of various sizes along the paths and near the decks. They are also appropriate near ponds and walkways.
For night walks in various places, install the lighting, directing the lights to the ground.
If there is a reservoir on the site, make a wooden or stone bridge.
Dry terrain can be diluted with a pond.

How to maintain a gravel garden

Taking care of an ornamental garden is easy, but necessary. Otherwise, he will quickly lose his beauty.

The procedure is as follows:

Plants in the first month after planting must be watered regularly. The intensity of soil moisture is reduced to the recommended for a particular variety after the seedlings are rooted.
The intervals between watering can be increased, because the gravel layer prevents the soil from drying out. Even less often, cereals and meadow plants that tolerate a lack of moisture well are moistened.
Field plants that are used as ornamental plants do not need fertilization. They can even harm the plantings due to rare watering.
Be sure to fertilize the rest of the seedlings with liquid preparations. The product is diluted and poured under the bush.
Constantly remove weeds from the site, they quickly grow and clog the entire area. Subsequently, the grass will not be easy to pull out from under the stones.
It is difficult to remove debris from the stone backfill. A wire rake is needed to clean the area. You can also use a stiff brush for this. Rubbish from loose bedding will have to be collected by hand.
Add gravel to restore its original appeal. The frequency of this procedure is once every few years.

Watch the video about the gravel garden:

To create a sense of personal space, it is recommended to make a gravel garden with your own hands. The main thing is to be creative, with imagination. You can involve loved ones in the process, children's initiative is especially welcome. The result will be an aesthetic and harmonious corner for relaxation and decoration of the site.