Making decisions for your North Texas landscape can feel stressful. After all, our region poses unique challenges with high heat and ongoing drought conditions. Water is precious so you might be looking for an eco-friendly solution that will still look great.

Landscaping with rock is an effective solution that many are turning to. Natural rock landscaping can check all the boxes in terms of eco-friendliness and functional value, while still offering major aesthetic appeal.

A lot of it comes down to how the rock is used. There is still an eye for design that is needed when installing rocks.

In this article, we’ll give you more insight into using rock in your landscape.

We’ll cover:
1. How rocks and landscapes go hand-in-hand
2. Types of rocks for landscaping
3. Design ideas and applications for landscapes with rocks
4. Choosing landscape design services in Flower Mound, Lewisville and Highland Village

At the end of the day, we want homeowners to have a landscape that they love. We feel that landscaping with rocks is a great way to achieve this.

How Rocks and Landscapes Go Hand-in-Hand

Since rock is naturally found in the landscape, it is no surprise that it makes an excellent choice for landscaping.

Of course, we’re not just talking about throwing some random stone down. There are still many aesthetic decisions to be made when landscaping with rock including how to install it and what type of rock to use.

Why should you consider using rocks in the landscape? There are some key benefits that homeowners love.

No maintenance: Unlike plant material that needs ongoing care, rocks will not require any maintenance. Obviously there is no watering needed (which we’ve made its own point, next), but there is also no pruning, fertilizing, or other care involved.
Water conservation: Given the prevalence of drought here in North Texas, we all know that water is a precious commodity. A huge benefit of using rocks in the landscape is that they won’t require any watering. Water conservation is a big deal and if you can create areas of your property that don’t require water, it can go a long way in being eco-friendly and cost-conscious. Of course, maybe you’re struggling to grow plant material due to lack of water (or some other issue). Sometimes homeowners choose to use rock in areas where grass won’t grow.
Durability: Rocks are going to maintain their look for many years to come. The only issue with rocks might be some color fading. But a top layer of rock or stone can easily be freshened up.
Erosion control and improved drainage: Rocks can also serve functional benefits like erosion control and improved drainage. If you have a problem area in the landscape, rock might be a functional solution.
No pests: Rocks also don’t attract pests the same way that plants or mulches do. That’s not to say that we don’t love plants and mulch (because we do!) but there’s no denying that rocks are less likely to become pest habitats.
Aesthetic appeal: Plants are beautiful and we love them for many reasons. But don’t overlook the aesthetic possibilities of stone! There are more choices than people tend to realize.

Types of Rocks for Landscaping

As we mentioned, when we’re talking about landscaping with rock, we want homeowners to know that there are a lot of different choices of decorative stone, gravel, and even larger rocks available. It all depends on what you’re looking to create.

We love working with homeowners on their creative ideas (and blending them with our own creativity).

Keep in mind that there are all different sizes, colors, and shapes of stones out there that can fulfill the function and aesthetic purpose that you’re seeking. We’ll talk further about various applications and give you some ideas for landscaping with rocks later on but here are just some types of rocks to know are available.

River rock
Decomposed granite
Flagstone
Gravel
Larger rock, like boulders

With so many sizes, shapes, and colors available, there are many ways to be creative.

Design Ideas and Applications for Landscapes with Rock

There are so many ways to use rocks in landscaping. Let’s talk about some of those ideas to get the creativity flowing.

Using Rocks in Plant Beds

Rocks can be used in plant beds in place of another material like mulch. There’s no denying that mulch does have a lot of benefits to plants, which we’ve explained in the linked article.

However, if you are okay with being more selective about what plants you’re using, stone can be a great way to gain all of the benefits we talked about previously like minimized water usage and maintenance.

There are many native plants that grow well in a rock bed…and we’re not just talking about succulents. While cactus plants and succulents have their place, we know that homeowners love color. Rock gardens show that it’s definitely possible to have the best of both worlds: A low-maintenance rock garden that is still colorful and attractive.

Using Rocks for Pathways and Borders

Another great way to incorporate decorative stone is in and around walkways. For a simple garden-style walkway, you might even consider using small decorative stones for the entire pathway.

We can also add borders around walkways with stone for a decorative touch. River rock is an excellent border choice for pathways (and for plant beds, too).

Using Rocks as Focal Points

Of course, rocks in landscapes can also be the main attraction! Larger rocks and boulders offer so much appeal that they can be installed as focal points around the landscape.

For instance, a large boulder can fill in a plant bed area if you’re trying to go low maintenance and minimize the number of plants you have to care for. Some people like the idea of using larger boulders surrounded by smaller rocks (like river rock). A rock garden can include plants or just be made up entirely of rock.

Another focal point idea is having a large pot or urn tipped over with rock spilling out. This becomes a piece of unique yard art that fills a space thoughtfully and attractively without requiring upkeep and care.

Rocks can also be stacked in a unique way to create a simple sculpture or yard feature. There are so many ways to get creative with rocks and make them a main attraction on your property.

Choosing landscape design services in Flower Mound, Lewisville and Highland Village

When it comes to making wise choices for rocks in landscapes, you’ll want the guidance of a professional. A pro will be able to help you make choices for the stones and rocks that will work best for your property (and the design ideas you want to incorporate).

A professional will not only be able to help with the design ideas but the installation as well. Despite what people tend to assume, landscaping with decorative stone can be more involved than people realize.

Whether it’s leveling out the yard before bringing in smaller rock or hauling in larger rocks, these types of enhancement projects can be a bit more grueling and time-consuming than first assumed.

At Grassperson, we understand that you have better things to do with your free time than getting involved in landscaping work. That’s one of the reasons why we love tackling enhancement projects for our clients. Landscaping with rock is a great way to boost curb appeal and wow factor…but you want to be sure that these types of projects are done right. We’re here to help.

If you are considering landscaping in North Texas, we are here to help. We’d love to hear your ideas and also make suggestions for how we can help make your property look its best.