You may have your garden ’s plant life figured out , but have you given any thought to how you could use boulders in your landscape ? If not , then consider this your formal invitation .
It ’s rude for Oliver Stone to be merely an afterthought in landscape painting design .
Plants tend to get most of the attention , since they ’re arguably what makes a landscape a garden . By comparison , who cares about a bunch of grown ol’ rocks ?
Photo by Tomwhite56, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain.
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Every landscaper should , in my opinion . You ’d be surprised at how aesthetic a well - placed bowlder or two can be .
As an inorganic dividing line to the sustenance , breathe flora in your garden , heavy Oliver Stone create aesthetic opportunities that you merely would n’t have with just flora alone .
Photo by Tomwhite56, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain.
But you should n’t be willy - nilly and just stick bombastic rocks on the ground all haphazardly , though . This templet will take the air you through everything a house landscapist needs to know and more !
Here ’s what we ’ll be discussing :
What You’ll Learn
Boulders 101
Boulder are an important factor ofhardscaping , the non - living elements of landscaping such as brick , wood , and concrete .
But it ’s important to clarify exactly what they are , specially in comparability to other types of stones .
When most people think “ boulder , ” they picture a monumental , tough - to - move stone like the one Sisyphus eternally tug up a hill in Greek mythology , or perhaps the one that rolls after Indiana Jones in “ Raiders of the Lost Ark. ” But the true definition is actually a flake broad than that .
In geology , a boulder is any shard of stone with a diameter gravid than 10 in . Any little , and you ’re in the realm of cobbles , pebbles , and crushed rock , which landscapers use for tract , watercourse , rock gardens , and the corresponding .
As you may imagine , boulders come in a wide compass of size . Some are small enough for a individual individual to move with informality , while others require gruelling - duty machinery .
Others , like the famed Giant Rock in the Mojave Desert – which is seven storey improbable and spread over 5,800 satisfying feet – are n’t transferrable at all , at least not without some dynamite , or maybe Superman .
In general , they come in two forms : round and angular .
Round boulders have a relatively smooth Earth’s surface and number from sand - and - gravel deposit of water - washed rock like sandstone and granite , which have been worn down by rainfall , winding , and sand over eon .
angulate boulders are more erose , with flatter faces . These are harvested from quarries using heavy machinery and explosive , and are compile of materials such as basalt , granite , quartzite , and sandstone .
Other materials are also uncommitted , such as limestone , slate , and even marble ! Mica can be used as a coloring material amendment , while moss-grown growing enables a striking green look . talk of …
landscape gardening gemstone is useable in more colour than you ’d imagine .
Along with the standard grays , browns , and tangent , it ’s available in pinks , bolshie , yellows , golds , and more . Add different jazz band to the admixture , and you have dozens of choice to opt from !
Why Use Boulders?
If you ’re conk out to be lugging heavy , potentially expensive stone into your yard , it helps to have a “ why ” or two . So here are three reasons to incorporate boulders into your landscape gardening :
1. Aesthetics
There ’s no uncertainty about it : the right bowlder , placed in the correct spots , seem pretty cool , add texture and interest to the landscape painting .
I intend , gem may not bring a split to your heart like beautiful plants can , but they definitely have their own unparalleled charm .
They add visual interest in many unlike landscaping scenario .
In a typical garden , they allow an earthy esthetic that social function as a complimentary emphasis to your lavish , green plants . In a rock and roll garden , they can actuallybethe focus , with the plant life playing the accompanying role .
2. Creates Structure
Boulders do n’t just look prissy . They can also be the construction blocks for structures within your landscape .
A bunch of properly - stacked stones can form a retaining bulwark . An ascending line can function as stepping Edward Durell Stone for walkers . And do n’t forget about the way they can be used as boundary line for planting beds and water features !
The structures formed are very self-coloured and long-lasting , too . It ’s easy to damage plants , but it ’s a bit tougher to put a dent in stone . And verbalize as a former nipper , I know that a landscape full of large rock-and-roll provides plenty of ascendible and jumpable obstruction for child to make for on !
3. Low Maintenance
If you ’ve been in the gardening game for a while , then you know that plants can be delicate , finicky , and needy organisms . It can be a ton of employment to keep themalive , much less in top word form .
That ’s where boulders can provide a breath of fresh air . There ’s a rationality pet rocks were popular with delinquent favored owners : stones are the easy affair in the public to take care of .
They do n’t require any Sunday , water , or fertilizer . They do n’t droop , attract cuss , or become sick . And save for perhaps a freak lightning ten-strike , they ’re knotty enough to hold up anything nature project at them .
rock are also a fantastic and thirstless creature forxeriscaping , landscaping in a way that require picayune to no irrigation . You canlearn more about xeriscaping in our guide .
Selection Tips
When picking out boulders for your landscaping , keep these pointers in mind :
Consider Local Geology
When you are considering ginormous stones for your landscape , require yourself : what kind of tilt fall out of course in this realm ?
The right choice of stone compliments the landscape , while the wrong single can make it look a bit affected . If you survive in Arizona near the Grand Canyon , then carmine sandstone would see marvellous . If you ’re a Missourian like myself , then granite works wonderfully .
Choosing a rock type that ’s foreign to your area is n’t the ending of the earthly concern , but just like native plantings are recommend for a natural esthetic , so is aboriginal stone .
On the other manus , you might want to make a demarcation in your garden , choosing color and texture from different geographical regions .
Have a Plan
Boulders can be expensive , hard to move , and even harder to absent . So going in without a basic intent could end up being an expensive rough-and-tumble .
And since prominent stones are cumbersome and natural focal point point , it is best to choose your rock placementbeforedeciding what you ’ll plant .
There are all sorts of digital landscaping tools you may use to make detailed , attractively - rendered designs – but pencil , graphical record composition , and a exceedingly long tape measure can be just as practical for plotting where your rocks will sit in relation to the other elements in your garden .
Go Big, Not Massive
It ’s well-off to undervalue the sizing of the Boulder you need for your property .
They have a weird fashion of looking big at the buying lot , yet when you get them home they can come out just a bit too small on your dimension . So do n’t be afraid to go big !
However , there is such a thing astoobig . If your property ends up looking more like Stonehenge than a residential landscape , then you should likely dial it back a bit .
Choose Colors Wisely
Color is a powerful tool for countersink the temper – so use it !
Use off - white , gray-haired , and ivory hues to create a passive vibration . Dark , earthy tones like black and brown radiate power , while bright yellows , Red River , and oranges feel bouncy and cheerful .
Decide which feelings you want to transmit , then use color psychological science to make it happen .
Contrast With Plantings
landscape gardening is a fragile dance of hardscape and softscape , non - living and living , yin and yang . To keep this effect sound , make your plantings really contrast with your boulders .
A vivacious , colorful priming coat masking next to a lay - back rock really punctuate the appearance of both , kinda like putting a preppy fraternity dude next to an substitute punk cleaning lady . A alone esthetic can only be appreciate through distinction , after all .
Placement Tips
Once you ’ve acquire your large stone – and completing planting – pick out , here ’s where pencil eraser meets the route … or rock meets the grease , I presuppose .
In the Ground, Not on the Ground
To really make your landscape painting look long - lasting , partially inter your boulders in the ground to give the impression they ’ve been there for millenary .
If you just set them on the ground , that enduring burden is n’t there .
Anywhere from a few inches deep to more than halfway bury is acceptable . As a rule of quarter round , the deeper the Harlan Fiske Stone , the old it looks .
This also helps the rocks to persist in place , so bury them late enough so that they ’ll delay anchored , peculiarly on angled slope !
Go With Grouping
A lone , blatant Oliver Stone in the landscape can look a piffling unnatural . Or perhaps foreboding , like an ancient civilization ’s marker for a sacred , haunt inhumation ground .
Go with clump rather than solo Stone – it looks more raw . Plus , more boulders !
Create Levels
How wearisome would a house painting look if it was three feet wide and only an inch tall ? Same live for a matte landscape .
To furnish grain and interest to the garden , use your boulder to create grand surfaces .
Retaining walls , ascending step , and ridge all create opportunity that you would n’t have with a wide , perfectly horizontal landscape .
Keep It Varied
Nature is rarely proportionate and undifferentiated . So a line of similarly - orient , practically identical stones definitely throws off that “ au naturel ” vibration .
Go with odd numbers , deviate sizes , and asymmetrical arrangements , and feel free to mix up the types of Isidor Feinstein Stone you use , too . redundance get old , even with boulders .
Trust Your Gut
human being are primed to specialise natural from unnatural and beautiful from frightful . So if your boulder setup looks weird and unaesthetic to you , do n’t brush off that feeling .
It ’s your landscape , and if it does n’t count good to you , then it does n’t put to work . Do n’t be afraid to make visual edits or veer from the design if something necessitate exchange , even if it breaks some of the aforesaid “ ruler . ”
Rock On!
congratulation on making it through this boulder of a guide ! Your focus must be stone - frigid . Three puns are plenty .
Whether you ’re new to enceinte landscape rocks or just refreshing your know - how , I wish you the best of portion in your future stone attempt .
May your big ol’ rock music bring your landscape painting beauty and structure !
And formore garden design idea , have a read of these guide next :
Photos by ( photographer ’s full name here ) © Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL rightfield RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . in the beginning published September 8 , 2015 . Last update January 24 , 2024 . Uncredited pic : Shutterstock .
About
Joe Butler
