Natural Stonework for Your Home Landscape: Tips & Ideas
With this spring’s early warmth, you may want to get out into the garden early. Don’t be too hasty with delicate plants, but maybe these great tips for adding stone to your landscape will solve your itchy garden-fingers. Thanks to our member and guest blogger Dean Bjorkstrand for the informative post and beautiful photographs.
Natural stonework can significantly improve the aesthetic beauty and functionality of your property. There are hundreds of landscaping stones to choose from and numerous variations of each stone type. This means that you can utilize just about any stone texture, shape or size as part of an equally diverse range of landscape designs. Although having seemingly countless options can be appealing, it can make choosing the perfect stone a real challenge.
Local stones are often preferred due to their authenticity and reasonable costs. Many homeowners, however, prefer exotic or imported stones for the distinctive flair they provide. If you have an idea of the specific type of stone you would like to use but you are not sure if your goals are feasible at your price point, it is recommended that you connect with a reputable property designer. Of course, you have the option of borrowing landscaping ideas by viewing the outdoor designs of neighboring properties. This is a great way to get inspiration, particularly if you are not ready to hire a professional design consultant.
Natural Stone vs. Manufactured Stone
Regardless of what stone color or style you choose, there are a few basic decisions that must be made. You will have to decide whether you want your landscape to include manufactured stone or natural stone. Each option has its own benefits. Natural stone comes in a virtually unlimited range of textures and hues. It often has a much more robust and dynamic appearance than composite, or manufactured, stone. Natural stone can be quite a bit denser, heavier and more durable than composite options.
Manufactured stone has a significantly lighter weight. It is easier to use and install. If you are taking on a complex, do-it-yourself project, this may be your best option. While either stone type can be used in most home projects, the increased workability and lighter weight of manufactured stone is one of the reasons why more homeowners are using it for tiling and countertops. Nevertheless, natural stone remains the premier choice for outdoor projects.
Cut vs. Uncut Stone
Another important consideration to make is whether to use cut or uncut stones in your landscaping project. Like composite and natural stones, cut and uncut stones both have their own pros and cons. By using cut stones, your landscape will have a clean and refined appearance. Uncut stones, on the other hand, maintain both the look and feel of natural stone.
While most projects look amazing when a single option is used throughout, it is possible to implement designs that include a seamless blend of cut, uncut, natural and manufactured stones.
Ideas For Using Landscaping Stones In Your Backyard
Create A Rock Garden
A rock garden is comprised of a strategic blend of live plants and rocks. The rocks are obviously the most significant element of the design. The shapes, colors and size of the rocks you choose will play a major role in determining their overall impact on your garden’s attractiveness.
Build a Stone Wall
A stone retaining wall can be used to prevent soil erosion or the movement of other loose, organic materials. Despite its functional intent, however, this structure can still be as pleasing to the eye as it is effective. Stone walls can be mortared or dry laid, long or short, tall or low. Gravity and placement determine their overall structural integrity.
Incorporate Rocks Into Your Outdoor Water Features
Water features are essentially rock gardens that incorporate water as a third and extremely appealing element. The arrangement of landscaping rocks alongside a strategic profusion of greenery is what makes the water so appealing, particularly if fish and amphibians are incorporated into the design. In projects like these, the distinction between stones and rocks can become blurred. The water feature itself is a man-made structure, but it is often made to appear like a natural element and may include the use of existing rocks.
Build a Patio
In a sense, a flagstone patio can be a simple extension of a walkway that travels outward in all directions for a specified length. It is important to note, however, that having vegetation sprout up between stones can be problematic. Placing grout or mortar between the stones is an effective way to avoid this issue. When this is the case, the integrity of the underlying material can prevent the development of cracks in any mortar or grout that has been used. With designs like these, it is important to hire or at least consult with a professional landscaper or a local mason in order to ensure long-term success.
*Dean Bjorkstrand is the owner of Dean Bjorkstrand, Inc. a full-service residential / commercial landscaping and exterior services company based in Minneapolis. Dean specializes in natural stonework and custom landscape design. Visit him at DeanBjorkstrand.com or LandscapeDesignMinneapolis.com.