Whether you live in a city apartment, a house among the suburban sprawl, or somewhere in between, using stones to compliment or to become a focal point in your garden is a must. Stones can make a run-of-the-mill space become refined, established and give your garden some “bones” to which you can build on for many years to come. But, before you start picking out your limestone and flagstone for your garden, be sure to consider the following:
1) The Drawing Board
Before you begin adding any elements to your garden it is essential that you have a plan. Figuring out what style, shape and size you are looking for first will save you headaches and frustration later. Are you thinking urban rock garden or cozy cottage footpath? Are there certain areas of your garden highlighted by wall sconce lights on your patio? If you aren’t quite sure of what you want or need for your garden, a quick search on the Internet or flipping through a magazine might get the juices flowing towards a solid start. If you have a local quarry or stone distributor in your area, it might be worth a visit to see if they have any ideas that might help you to map out your new addition to your garden. Don’t just start throwing stones into your garden, hoping that they fall into a place that will amaze home and garden magazine editors everywhere, or it will look like….well, someone was throwing stones in your garden! Once you have a clear picture of what you want your garden to look like in the end (in your head at least, or even better if on paper), moving on to the next step becomes a little easier.
2) Order Up!
When you do decide on what to order, make sure to order locally. Ordering locally not only assures that you are getting the most rock for your money, but also keeps down transportation costs as well. Remember that smaller stones are sold by the cubic yard or metric ton. Rocks used for walls and vertical spaces are often sold by the linear or face foot and large stones are sold by the metric ton. Whatever rock you decide on ordering, most stone distributors have a preset calculation for seeing how much stone you need and how much it will cost, so you don’t get any surprises when the stone is delivered to your home.
3) Patience, patience, patience! You know how your mom always told you that good things come to those who wait? Well, in this case (and usually many others) she would be right. After your stones are placed in your garden, there will be some “settling in” time, before you can go crazy with the greenery. In order to get the stones and the plants all on the same page, the soil needs to settle into all the nooks and crannies. When you feel confident that your stones have settled, then (and only then!) should you head to the local nursery to make your plant purchases to complete your new garden.
This guest post was written by The Rock Yard Inc., specializing in Natural Stone in Atlanta GA, and manufactured stone in Atlanta, GA for contractors and residents in the area. The Rock Yard also offers a wide variety of native custom stone and centurion stone for your everyday needs.
