Pretty Rocks for Landscaping

Granite

• One of the most commonly used rocks for landscaping is granite. Granite, a natural igneous rock with flecks of quartz and crystalline feldspar, is found in many colors, including pink, green, black or white. Its flecks of quartz often glimmer in the sunlight, making it a striking focal point. A granite boulder makes an attractive outcropping in a garden. Bluestone, a darkly colored blue-gray type of granite, is often used in patios and steps. Fieldstone is a smooth round or oblong piece of granite found on the ground or partially buried. It's often used for paths.

River Rock

• River rock is a medium-sized stone polished smooth by a river or lake. This attractive stone comes in many colors, including brown, cream and blue-gray. Sometimes used as a decorative mulch or to edge a bed, river rock is found in all shapes. Small, dark, uniformly oval river rocks can be used to great effect as a dry stream, which mimics the look of real water meandering through a garden or under an arching bridge. This is often a feature in Asian gardens.

Gravel

• Gravel, the smallest decorative rock, is frequently used to top pathways, driveways and even winding labyrinths. Gravel can be natural, which is the smooth-edged type found in rivers. The other type is crushed gravel, made by smashing larger rocks into tiny bits with jagged edges and more irregular shapes than natural gravel. Gravel is an inexpensive stone to use in the landscape. It also is attractive because of the interesting crunch it makes underfoot. It can be found in shades of gray, beige, white or yellow.

Slate

• Slate is an popular choice not only for landscaping, but also for interior decorating as well. Formed by the compression of sedimentary rocks, slate comes in a wide variety of beautiful colors. Green, copper and blue-gray are only a few of the shades found in slate. Often, a single stone will have a blending of many of these colors. This natural rock is often used to build steps and patios in a landscape.