Six decorative aggregates to brighten up your garden

There are many great reasons to choose to use decorative aggregates in your garden, from improving drainage to adding aesthetic appeal. There are lots of choices out there too, including garden gravels, garden stones, granite chippings, slate chippings, pebbles, cobbles and rockery stones.

 

If you think it is time to transform your outdoor space, decorative aggregates can offer quick fixes that are as easy and cost-effective to achieve as they are attractive to look at. Here are six ideas of types and ways to make use of decorative aggregates to help get you started on your next garden transformation.

1. Weather-resistant gravel

Use gravel to create a garden that doesn’t need good weather to thrive. Gravel can help to improve drainage by allowing water to run through the ground, making them great during rainy spells. It is also drought-resistant, making gravel gardens as practical as they are attractive.

There is also a huge amount of choice when it comes to gravel gardens, ensuring it is as easy as possible to find aggregates to match your home and existing garden features. Browse the Decorative Gardens range of garden gravels for choices ranging from Kelkay Sea Green Chunkies 20-50mm to the dainty Italian Rose 16-32mm.

2. Striking rockery stone

It was once the case that rockeries were only found in huge, stately home-type gardens, but that is no longer the case. Today, rockeries can be found in all sorts of gardens, from urban yards to sprawling country plots.

Rockeries can be built in a huge range of different styles, from sparse Japanese-inspired creations with large Norwegian Granite Boulders, Mediterranean creations with lots of Precious Jade & Meteor Storm Rockery and English country garden-inspired designs featuring natural-looking rockery stones such as Cotswold and Yorkstone rockery.

3. Rockery stone for fish ponds

Aggregates can be perfect when you want to create a ramp to let wildlife access your pond or if you want to simply soften the edges for a more aesthetically-pleasing effect. It is important to ensure that the rockery stones you use are fish-friendly, however. Some natural stones, particularly those containing lime, will affect the PH balance of your pond water and this can be very dangerous to aquatic life.

Fortunately, Decorative Gardens makes it as easy as possible to opt for the right choice of rockery stones by telling you which of our products are fish friendly and which are not. Some choices of rockery stone safe for use in aquatic environments include Rustic Sage Rockery, Highland Grey Rockery and the aptly named Red Lake Rockery.

If you have a pond in your garden, you may also choose to use cobbles or garden pebbles to create a river or beach feel in your own backyard. A great choice for this job are River Washed Pebbles. These pretty pebbles go all glossy when wet, making them the perfect choice for water features.

4. Create a water feature with stones, cobbles or pebbles

Rather than spending money on a tailor-made, shop-bought water feature, you could choose to create your own using decorative garden aggregates, including rockery stones and pebbles. Again, River Wash Pebbles are a great choice for this job, but they are also far from the only option. You may also want to look at the likes of Deco-Pak Silver Granite Cobbles 50-75mm, Coastal Pebbles 20-45mm, Oyster Pearl Pebbles 10-25mm, and Kelkay Sea Green Cobbles 40 to 100mm.

5. Transform borders with granite chippings and slate chippings

 

Use granite chippings to give borders a little something extra. Choose contrasting colours to add to the wow factor of an area or go natural as a means of minimising weed growth around your plants. Choices range from the colourful and stylish Sunset Red Chippings 14-20mm, Deco-Pak 20mm Green Chippings and Cornish Silver Chippings 12-16mm, to the more subtle Norwegian Green Granite Chippings 14-20mm or Black Basalt 20mm for a very contemporary look.

 

 

Decorative ground cover can add real ‘oomph’ to your garden design and slate chippings are a popular choice for this task, not least because of the versatility and options they offer. Choices include the likes of Deco-Pak 40mm Plum Slate and Charcoal Slate 20mm Chippings Bulk Bag, which is also great as a patio infill or when creating paths.

6. Edge paths with cobbles

Edging paths can really finish their appearance, as well as keeping their lines defined and stopping your path aggregates from spreading to other areas. Cobbles are a great choice for this, offering plenty of options to match your paths and other features of your garden or home. There are also choices to complement any garden themes you may have, such as the nautical feeling Premium North Sea Cobbles 30-90mm.

 

If you just want an option that can withstand any future theme changes and really withstand the test of time, then traditional Scottish cobbles are the way to go. Scottish cobbles and pebbles are also available in a wide range of different sizes to suit your individual tastes and gravel garden requirements.

 

Take a look at our range of high-quality aggregates today.

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