Gravel add to your yard's landscaping surfaces is a great way to improve the appearance of your bedding areas, walkways, and parking areas while using an attractive and natural material. When you add gravel there are a variety of styles and colors you can choose from and you don't have to worry about it degrading over time like organic mulch does. Here are some recommendations to help you prepare for your gravel project to update your yard's appearance and usage.
Choose a Gravel Type
With all the types of gravel and rock available for you to add to your landscaping, it can be difficult to make a final section on a type and color of gravel. To help you in this decision you should look at what you will use the gravel covering for and if its appearance is of a big importance.
For example, if you are planning to cover a garden walkway with gravel through your backyard, you can opt for a smaller rock that is attractive looking, such as pea gravel. This small type of rock is more comfortable to walk upon and it looks uniform and smoother for a walkway surface.
As another example, if you want to cover the soil within your rose garden bedding area, you can choose a larger rock that is attractive in appearance, such as red or black volcanic rock, round river rock, or crushed granite versus angular gravel. An angular gravel rock is a good option for covering your driveway and parking area, so the angular edges of the gravel will compress together to give you a sturdy surface that compacts and hardens over time.
Figure Out Your Needs
The next step after selecting a type of gravel for your landscape project is to calculate how much you need. This calculation depends on how deep you want your gravel covering and the size of the surface. To decide how deep you want your gravel you also will need to look at the use of the gravel-paved area.
For example, if you want the gravel for paving a walkway, driveway, or parking area, you should plan to install several inches, which can be anywhere from two to four inches. However, if you plan to install larger river rocks over a landscaped area surrounding your shrubbery and trees, you can plan to install a single layer of large round rocks or one to two inches of smaller rounded river rocks.
Talk to a gravel representative with your local gravel bulk delivery supplier to help you calculate the yardage of gravel or the amount in tons. Find out if a delivery is available, especially if you are planning on a large bulk order of gravel.