Are you looking at your landscaping, or maybe a landscape drawing you received from a landscape professional, and something just seems to be missing? You may love the plants and the design, but there’s just something missing that you can’t quite put your finger on. Your landscaping may be missing some texture, and more specifically, it may just be missing some well-placed landscape boulders. In our opinion, landscape boulders are one of the most under-utilized landscaping materials.
Landscape boulders can serve several purposeful applications in your landscaping, the first being the visual appeal boulders can give to a landscape area. Landscape boulders can immediately give landscape beds a more “natural” feeling, as though the landscaping formed around the rocks. Landscape boulders come in a wide variety of materials. Characteristics such as more round or angular boulders can be chosen based on personal preferences. Boulders also introduce texture to your landscape, breaking up large areas of mulch or river rock with distinctive height, adding an extra dimension to your landscaping.
When you have decided to use landscape boulders in your project, do not be afraid to go BIG with some of the rocks. A common mistake that people can make is to use boulders that are not big enough to actually be seen in the landscaping. Over time, trees and shrubs will continue to grow, while your boulders will obviously remain the same size. This means your boulders will slowly shrink in size compared to the rest of the landscaping and will start to be covered up. While you may not necessarily want your boulders to be the focal point of your landscaping, you also do not want to go so small that after a few years the boulders are no longer visible.
A couple of practical applications for boulders in your landscape, aside from the visual appeal that they bring, are for erosion control and ‘anchoring’ your landscape. Landscape boulders or slabs of rock are a great way to prevent erosion by creating a retaining wall, without the look of an actual brick wall. Landscape boulders or slabs of rock are extremely heavy, and when installed strategically, can help mitigate erosion on steep hillsides and embankments by allowing water to shed off a property while helping to retain soil and landscape areas. Heavy water areas are a great place to install landscape boulders. The boulders can be used as a way to slow water as it moves through a ditch or from the runoff of a property. This will once again help water to shed from a property while helping to prevent the erosion that happens when water moves quickly over soil.
Transform your outdoor space with our top-notch landscape design and installation services. Feel free to reach out today, and we can chat about how landscape boulders can amp up the charm and functionality of your outdoor area. We're here to bring your landscape dreams to life – let's make it happen!
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