Pass on Grass: 7 Reasons to Landscape with Gravel

Lower maintenance lawns are becoming more and more popular. Finding ways to decrease the amount of grass in the yard can reduce your reliance on watering, chemical fertilizers, and weekend mowing to keep it beautiful. Gravel and stone to the rescue! There are excellent alternatives to turf grass that you can incorporate into your landscape.

By Jennifer Noonan | Updated Dec 29, 2020 01:37 PM

Gravel Instead of Grass

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Gravel Landscaping

With increased concerns over water conservation and chemical use in yards, many people are exploring lower maintenance options for their properties. Stone and gravel landscaping are smart alternatives to grass, especially where frequent drought and heat make turf grass impractical. But regardless of where you live, inorganic materials like river rock, pea gravel, and crushed granite can be a beautiful compliment to the rest of your landscaping—with a lot less effort.

houzz.com

Glass Gravel

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Blue Glass Gravel Landscaping

Yes—GLASS. Recycled glass is broken down, cleaned, and tumbled until it has no sharp edges to make glass gravel landscaping. It lasts forever and comes in a variety of colors and sizes. What an exquisite accent for your garden, walkway, or landscape beds.

closetheloop.com

Gravel delivery and installation made easy
Find trusted gravel experts in your local area and receive free, no-obligation quotes for your project.
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Lava Rock

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Red Lava Rocks

Lava rock (also called scoria) is either red or black, and has a porous texture, which makes it stand out visually from other inorganic mulching materials. It’s lightweight in comparison to other gravels, so it’s easier to install. A popular choice for landscaping in desert areas, as it mimics the natural terrain, it’s also perfect for highlighting features like an island bed or walkway.

pavestone.com

Crushed Granite

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Crushed Granite Gravel Landscaping

Most often found in gray tones, crushed granite also comes in earthy brown and tan shades like this. It’s budget and DIY friendly, so it’s a great choice for covering large areas like driveways, patios, and stone gardens. Crushed granite will add a rustic, natural look to any landscape.

markdesignfirm.com

Pea Gravel

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Pea Gravel Patio

Pea gravel has long been favored for its smooth texture and wonderful, natural color variation. At $35 – $55 a ton, it’s an affordable and attractive choice for almost any application: side yards, driveways, patios, walkways, and planting beds. And it can be mixed and matched with other landscaping features to add visual interest to any outdoor space.

deboracarl.com

River Rock

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River Rock Landscaping

The rich, natural, and varied color of river rock makes it a popular landscaping stone. Because it comes in a variety of river sizes and colors, it can be used in almost any style of planting bed and edging, or mixed with other materials in pathways and patios. For something off the beaten path, create a meandering dry stream bed like this one in your own backyard.

mandmlandscapes.com

Slate Chips

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Slate Chips

The unlimited versatility of slate chips makes them an increasingly popular gravel landscaping option. They come in a variety of colors, including red, blue, purple, and gray and can be used in pathways, edging, or even driveways. They also make a great mulch to suppress the growth of weeds and unlike some organic mulches, it will not attract bugs. 

ginkgoleafstudio.net

Go With Gravel

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Go With Gravel

Having more gravel means less grass to mow. What's not to love about that?

bobvila.com

Gravel delivery and installation made easy
Find trusted gravel experts in your local area and receive free, no-obligation quotes for your project.
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