Stone Rock Landscaping Ideas
Stones and rocks are a natural part of any landscape, so it makes sense to incorporate them into your own landscape design. Today, homeowners can purchase real or manufactured stone, and if you live in a rural area, you can offer to pick natural stones for a farmer who could use the help. Most stone landscaping projects are do-it-yourself friendly, but that doesn't mean they are easy. They require muscle and know-how.
Settled Boulders
After some excavation and with the help of a front-end loader, you can settle large boulders into the land to a depth of about one-third of their height, which prevents them from looking as of they were simply dropped there. Strategically placed, they naturalize large expanses of yard and large flower beds.
Stone Walls
Stone walls are timeless additions to a landscape. Not more than 4 feet high, they can delineate entire estates or just a patio. They are constructed of piled field stones with a wider base than top or of carefully placed stacked stone, which may or may not be mortared with Portland cement and are often two to three courses deep. You can build a stone wall yourself, but doing so requires some homework and is labor intensive.
Stone Steps
You can set stone steps into sloping areas of grass or sloping gardens. Stone steps also make handsome entryways to houses. Some homeowners lay flagstone into a cement base to create steps, but some steps are harder-to-find solid pieces of limestone, granite or another stone that are set into the ground.
Patios and Walkways
When stone plays a role in patios and walkways, it is usually flagstone or ashlar, which is sandstone that has been cut into geometric shapes. On a prepared bed of paver sand, you or a landscaper will tamp the stone into place and mortar or fill the cracks with sand. A well-made patio or walkway is attractiveespecially with the addition of container plants that are easy to care for and will last a long time.
Category: Stone Knowledge
Updated: 2013/12/10
Source: Stone industry news