Low-maintenance, drought-tolerant and perfect for small spaces, the gravel garden serves so many purposes that it's no wonder it's experiencing a renaissance.
Don't overlook the gravel garden. Modern designs filled with drought-tolerant, low-maintenance plants can turn even the smallest spaces into real conversation pieces. The benefits of a gravel garden are huge.
There are many plants that struggle without well-drained soil, and creating a gravel garden is a great way to enjoy it to the fullest. No watering and minimal weeding; In addition, drought-tolerant plants that like such dry soil are more resistant to pests and diseases. The only trick to limiting gravel is building it up, and that can be started this spring for a lush, lush lawn in the summer.
Sustainable garden design has become a trend at the top of many homeowners' and gardeners' wish lists. The importance of open spaces that are not only beautiful, but also interact with wildlife and help mitigate climate change is vital to our ecosystem. Therefore, more and more people are turning to the possibilities of a gravel garden.
In terms of landscaping ideas, using local materials such as stone and gravel can reduce carbon emissions from manufacturing and transportation.
So, whether your garden planning involves a path to the front door, a path that winds around the garden, or a path that leads to a specific location, a gravel garden can enhance the look of your outdoor space.
1. Get inspired by the Mediterranean
A hot, dry summer is expected due to global warming and rising surface temperatures, so we need to think about how this will affect our gardens. Finally, it is becoming increasingly important to make our English gardens more drought tolerant.
Horticulturist Derry Watkins of Special Plants says: "Gravel is great for Mediterranean gardens and dry gardens because it usually kills them if they get wet in winter. Mediterranean plants hate wet roots. Gravel also retains heat to mix the gravel." With the soil, just tie it on top. At first, gravel may seem inexpensive, but over time it requires some care.
Till the soil now, then plant drought-tolerant buds like yucca, rosemary, yarrow and verbena in the gravel in the spring and their roots will find their way into the soil. With them growing happily on attractive rocks and requiring minimal care, it's easy to see why this style of waterless gardening has become so popular.
2. Deter burglars with a gravel yard
Gravel is not only beautiful, cheap (bags start at £8 at B&Q) and low-maintenance, but the squeak it makes underfoot can be a great way to prevent theft.
Burglars don't like paved paths and patios, so they often avoid them at first. However, you don't want it to be a distraction, so buy a non-stick pebble the size to roll out the slippers and "walk" inside.
Gravel can also be used to smooth out hard cobbled edges and bring disjointed garden areas together, so a gravel garden is a winner!
3. Create a Japanese-style garden
Known for its calm and contemplative atmosphere, the Japanese garden is understated and refined, focusing on form and texture rather than an abundance of flowers, making it an ideal setting for gravel beds.
Replace grass or paving with areas of gravel or sand to balance plantings. Place steps around the garden in a zigzag pattern (avoid straight lines) and use large stones or gravel as centers to create a sense of rhythm. You can also dig pebbles or sand in circles or lines around the stone to represent crashing waves or rushing water.
When it comes to Zen garden ideas, think less is more – a simple look and controlled color palette help create a sense of calm.
4. Use gravel to remove weeds
If your garden is a breeding ground for weeds in the summer, gravel may be the solution you've been looking for.
Weeds are more difficult to grow than in nutrient-rich soil, and ground cover plants are easy to propagate without out-competing the competition. A gravel garden is a good choice as it almost completely prevents weeds from growing. Unlike mulch, such as B.'s shredded bark, it does not cause rot.
This balance of plants and stones is a feature of the Mediterranean landscape and this year's hot garden trend.
5. Place pebbles to make a beautiful and winding path
Garden path ideas are a great way to define and separate areas of your garden and encourage you to visit far corners.
Gravel driveways are cheap, easy to make and work very well in urban and country gardens, both with high visibility borders and with plants that spread and hide the borders they contain.
A solid foundation is necessary, which can be the existing soil, compacted with clay, or, on the contrary, a compacted or paved stone massif; A landscape permeable membrane membrane helps suppress weeds.
Gravel and soil – a mixture of gravel, sand and clay that holds together but allows water to drain – is ideal for dry gardens, which may become more popular with climate change. Most self-binding or self-compacting gravel is usually sourced on-site, making it environmentally friendly.
6. Choose gravel for low-maintenance areas
If you're short on time or just don't care about greenery, a gravel garden is an easy option. If you plant a gravel garden correctly, it is the least maintenance part of your lawn. There's nothing special about it other than cutting things up and pulling out paper.
Gravel is softer to the touch than hard pavement and comes in a variety of colors that are perfect for everyday paths. They are also relatively inexpensive, easy to install, and allow rainwater to be absorbed, preventing flooding.
Before you start, it's important to remove all perennial weeds and get the soil and gravel properly balanced - for example, if you don't put a thick enough layer of gravel on top of heavy soil, you'll end up with weeds.
7. Choose green options
If you're hoping to create an outdoor space that's not only low-maintenance and affordable, but also sustainable, gravel combined with partially recycled scaffolding boards is a great option.
Recycled or recycled materials are good choices for gravel driveways. As with decking, good choices are used scaffolding boards or partially recycled composite materials, says Amelia Bouquet, owner of Amelia Bouquet Garden Design.
Treat scaffold boards with an environmentally friendly wood preservative to prevent rotting and make sure they don't come into direct contact with the ground. For a gravel path that can withstand flooding, try clay pavers. Lay it on a smooth, sharp sand base to make your path impervious, and set the edges on a mortar base for stability.
When choosing materials, keep in mind that some stones of questionable origin, such as removing gravel from the seabed, can kill marine flora and fauna. Whenever possible, purchase recycled aggregate and rock from a landfill; Or, if you're buying a new stone, make sure it's from ETI.
8. Make sure you choose the right plants
Many drought-tolerant plants are native to the Mediterranean region and naturally grow on dry, rocky soils. So it's no surprise that they thrive in an English gravel garden, where a layer of soil keeps the roots cool, reducing evaporation and protecting them from frost.
When choosing plants, focus on hardy evergreen species interspersed with bulbs to add seasonal color: onion varieties and tulips in spring; fox lilies and agapanthus in summer; and in autumn - Hesperantha coccinea and Nerines.
Cistus, lavender, and euphorbia are also good choices in a gravel garden. Then, for more spontaneity, encourage self-sowers like hellebore and poppies for plain color.
9. Lay gravel to repel slugs
Although it is not entirely possible to completely exclude slugs from the garden. In fact, you can control this abundant pest by creating a physical barrier at ground level.
Gravel (and coarse sand) is not only good at suppressing weeds and deterring thieves, but it also repels slugs and snails from endangered plants and flowers.
10. Prepare the recreation area
Gravel is one of the best materials for small patios. So, if you're using it as part of a modern rockery or Mediterranean garden, consider making room for some classy garden seating ideas.
Look for a suitable room in a sunny location, as shown here. Then add a selection of the best outdoor furniture, such as a coffee table and chairs or chaise lounges, to create a private seating area. You will immediately feel like you are on vacation on the Mediterranean Sea.
How can I make my gravel garden beautiful?
Keeping a gravel garden looking good is a lot easier than you think and can be a blessing in itself.
A gravel garden is a practical, low-maintenance and weed-free option. So if you want it to stay beautiful, it's important to keep it free of weeds.
Choose a sunny, well-drained, weed-free location; While any type of soil will do, sandy or gravelly soil is best. To prevent plants from self-seeding, spread landscape fabric on the ground and cut crosses to insert the plants, then add a 5-8cm layer of gravel.
Gravel comes in a variety of colors and sizes, so choose a color that complements the surface and other hard structures in the garden. Local gravel is usually cheaper.
Be vigilant about weeding for the first few years until the plants are large enough to be planted. Create self-sowing plants that give the garden a natural look; If it's a bit of a mess, throw something away. Good vegetarian options include fennel, irrigeron, stica, euphorbia and nepeta.
What can I plant in my gravel garden?
There are many things you can incorporate into a gravel garden. The decorative possibilities, not to mention the animal friendliness, are endless.
Create blurred boundaries and transition zones between features such as lawns, ponds and garden borders with gravel and pebbles. Choose a traditional rock garden or a more modern gravel garden; use colored fillers to enliven shadowy corners; and play with rocks like boulders, gravel, and pebbles to add movement and energy to your texture.
Start now to build a gravel garden for late summer masterpieces - and a beautiful, low-maintenance garden will be waiting for you for years to come.
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