As you plan out your yard's landscaping, it is an open canvas as you decide on the type of vegetation you plant and the hardscaping you can add as borders, solid surfaces, and texture. Aggregate as landscaping material is long-lasting, attractive, and can be put into a variety of uses to improve the drainage and prevent erosion while it looks beautiful. Here are some recommendations to help you use gravel and rock effectively in your landscaping for an attractive and useful appeal.

Select the Right Type of Rock

When you are planning a backyard project or landscaping update to your yard with rock, you don't want to use crushed angular aggregate for all your rock additions. Gravel that is crushed and angular may be perfect for a concrete foundation or for an aggregate drive, but it will not work well for covering your landscaping soil. Aggregate that is angular is not the best-looking rock. With so many other options for rock added to your yard, take some time and peruse all the variety, colors, textures, and rock types to find one that is going to work best for your installation project.

For example, if you are planning to use the rock to line a swale, dry riverbed, or the soil around your shrubbery and trees, smooth rounded river rock is a great option. And for accent bedding or a strip of soil along the side of your yard, attractive lava rock or crystal-filled marble or granite aggregate will set off the landscaping. And if you are planning to install a dog run along one side of your yard, pea gravel is soft on the feet for your dog and will provide a dust and mud-free environment for your pet. 

Use Your Gravel to Landscape

There are a number of ways you can use your aggregate in landscaping. In addition to accenting your bedding areas, gravel as a ground cover doubles as a mulch covering. This will protect the soil against many factors. For example, gravel over the soil around your trees and shrubbery will protect the moisture within the soil against the sun's radiation and evaporation. Then, when the wind comes into your yard, gravel holds down the soil to prevent it from blowing away. And with gravel covering the soil, weeds don't stand a chance as this barrier protects them from taking root.

You can also look for a larger rock to add in a border for your driveway and vegetation bedding areas. And a flat flagstone set with surrounding pea gravel or decomposed granite makes an attractive walkway or outdoor seating area.