When you look at options for improving your property’s exterior design, you are likely to come across two main terms: Hardscaping and landscaping. For most designs, they cover all the options—both the planted areas of your exterior and elements like patios, walkways, and retaining walls. However, there are more options that can enhance your design choices, including rockscaping. The designers at Triad Associates can help you learn how rockscaping and other design options can benefit your home or business.
What is Rockscaping?
Rockscaping is aptly named. It is the practice of using rocks in your exterior design. It can be used on its own, or it can be used in conjunction with landscaping and hardscaping. You can be just as creative with rockscaping as you can be with other, popular exterior design strategies, ranging from simple accents to a comprehensive design.
Benefits of Rockscaping
There are many benefits of using rockscaping for your property. To start, rockscaping done well can look very beautiful. There are many varieties of rocks that can be used in many ways, giving you a variety of design options that will all look attractive.
Rockscaping also helps you to reduce your maintenance. You don’t have to prune rocks, and you don’t have to pressure wash them. You can set them out and forget them. If you use rocks in place of mulch, the rocks will also last longer and stand up to more foot traffic or other elements.
Rocks also don’t attract pests the way natural elements in landscaping would, thereby reducing your maintenance and any potential nuisances.
How to Use Rockscaping
There are many ways that you can use rockscaping on your property, either as an accent or for a full design. Working with a professional designer like those at Triad Associates can help you get the best results for your property. But in the meantime, here are some ideas you can consider:
Differentiate Levels of Your Yard
Rocks can be used to demarcate the different levels of your yard. You can use large rocks to not only hold up the dirt to prevent erosion, but also to mark the levels, creating a natural, exotic look. You can also use a more complex design that uses smaller rocks to fill in the spaces around the larger rocks, similar to mulch.
Create Separation through Yard Elements
Rocks are ideal natural borders and separators for different elements of your yard. For example, rockscaping can be used to make a border of gravel or pebbles that can be laid between two planted areas or between a garden bed and a walkway. Rocks of different sizes and configurations can be used throughout in creative ways.
Accentuate Boring Aspects of Your Yard
Have a plain stretch of green in an oddly shaped area of your yard that you don’t know what to do with? Create an interesting rock formation in the space. You can find similar opportunities throughout your yard. Just look at any space that could use a little sprucing up and consider how a little rockscaping could help it.
Popular Types of Rockscaping Rock
You can use any type of rock for rockscaping, but some types are more popular than others. Some types of rock are also more suitable for specific applications. Work with a Triad Associates designer to better understand the options and how they can influence your design. Some popular types of rockscaping rock include:
River Rock
River rock is a small, smooth rock. You could hold about five to eight of them in your hand, to give you an idea of size. River rock is most frequently used like mulch to fill in a landscaped area or around a pathway.
The small size and variety of colors gives it great flexibility for a variety of design uses. Its smooth surface makes it easy on the feet if you want to use it in areas that might get foot traffic. Finally, its affordable price makes it an excellent option for any design project.
Flagstone Rock
Flagstone is a popular choice for any type of rockscaping exterior design. It is a sandstone rock that is composed of quartz and feldspar. It is flat and has a smoky or earthy color. It makes for a beautiful option for pathways, garden steps, and more. It can also be stacked to create retaining walls, borders, and other configurations.
Flagstone is highly durable, and it will last for a long time with beautiful results. It will also increase the curb appeal and value of your property when used strategically.
Basalt Rock
Basalt rock looks very similar to flagstone, but it is thicker and darker in color. It is a unique igneous rock composed of multiple minerals. Variations of it are available, including in smaller chunks, almost like a mulch. Basalt rock can be used to striking effect in your rockscaping, thanks to its stark color. Consider using it as an accent stone to create vivid borders around plantings, pathways, and more.
Basalt rock is very durable, and its variety in form makes it flexible in design. You can use it in just about anything, and you can expect long-lasting performance from it.
Hire Triad Associates’ Rockscaping Experts Today
Rockscaping is an excellent way to enhance your property’s exterior, either as a standalone design element or in conjunction with other hardscaping and landscaping designs. Call the rockscaping experts at Triad Associates today to schedule a consultation and learn more about how rockscaping can benefit your property. Our design experts work in both hardscaping and landscaping, and they can give you expert advice on how to combine these elements with rockscaping to get the most beautiful results. They will work closely with you to create the design, helping you visualize the options through the use of material samples, sketches, and design software. The goal is to elevate your property to help it reach its highest potential. Call us today to schedule a consultation and get started. Get ready to see your home or business in a whole new light!
