How To Make A Rock/ Pebble Garden

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Rocks, stones and pebbles are an easy, low maintenance way to add some texture to your garden

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IT'S NOT ONLY DESERT LANDSCAPES that should have rocks in them. If your looking for an easy way to make a garden stand out or just a low maintenance ground covering then rocks, pebbles and stones are a great way to go. Here are some ideas on how to use them to their best.

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Image courtesy of Rocks & Rubber

#1 Keeping the Water In

With the temperatures rising almost as fast as the water bill, using small rocks like these is a great way to xeriscape your gardens. The rocks let the water find its way down to the soil, keeping the plant roots wet. At the same time, they keep the sun's UV rays out so that the water does not evaporate.

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Image courtesy of Pinterest

#2 Keeping the Grass Back

Using rocks to create a border between your house and the lawn serves more than one purpose. The rocks help splatter rainwater away from the wall. They also help to keep the grass far away from the walls which should make mowing the lawn easier. Moreover, they create a beautiful space you can use to plant shrubs and flower.

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#3 Amazing Garden Borders

There a several ways you can put a border around your flower gardens and along the footpaths. Building short walls from rocks that have been stacked together to create a sturdy wall is not only very practical, but is also very pleasant to look at.

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Image courtesy of 1001 Gardens

#4 A Gravel Water Scene

This image is evocative of a small lake or section of swamp made from gravel. The combination of larger rocks and short shrubs help to complete the illusion and of course the heron doesn't hurt. You could use a variety of animals and plants to create your own miniature world.

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Image courtesy of Pinterest

#5 Fred Flintstone Would Love This

This rock firepit and seats looks like it would be just at home in Fred Flintstone's backyard as it does here. Who wouldn't love to sit out here with a long stick, some marshmallows (or a slab of dinosaur) with the family? What a great way to make use of that "one" corner in your backyard.

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Image courtesy of Homedit

#6 Creating Walkways and Walls

This homeowner used rocks to create a barrier between the fence and his paver pathway. But more importantly, he used larger rocks to build the retaining wall that allowed him to have a level lawn that is easy to mow.

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Image courtesy of Pinterest

#7 Holding Back the World

When you have a sloping backyard, the best way to deal with it is to use huge flat rocks like these to build walls to hold the soil back. These flat rocks make a solid wall when they are stacked in this manner without the need for cement or mortar.

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Image courtesy of Pinterest

#8 Simple Lines Stunning Effects

This homeowner made use of a wide variety of rocks to create lines in his garden with a stunning visual effect. It looks like he also created a small rock sided pond with a rock slab bridge over it. (What a cool way to make a slight slope in your backyard look fantastic)

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Image courtesy of Owtdoor

#9 Simple Garden Decorations

This homeowner took a simple approach to adding decorations to his gardens. In fact, using large boulders is a good way to break up large sections of garden space like those in this yard. Be sure to scatter them around like this and add a few in the larger open areas.

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Image courtesy of Klein's Lawn & Landscaping

#10 Garden Art Deco

Placing rocks strategically along the slope of the garden with plants scattered among them gives this garden an almost "art deco" look. The other benefit to using rocks like this, is they help hold the soil in place when it rains.

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Image courtesy of Patrick's Landscaping

#11 Holding It All Back

With such a slope, the rock walls help keep the soil intact and give the homeowner plenty of room for flower gardens. The small pink and white rock area in front could be a driveway or nothing more than a barrier between the yard and street.

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Image courtesy of Deepening Mindfulness.Org

#12 Go Harvest Your Own Border

If you are lucky enough to live near a forest, a river, the mountains, or just about anywhere you can find rocks of this size, you can literally harvest your own border. You can do it all at once or slowly over time by picking up rocks from different areas for added variety.

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Image courtesy of Pinterest

#13 Using Rocks to Redirect the Water

One way in which water can intrude into your basement is from the water pouring out of the downspout and down into the ground on the outside of the basement wall. These stacked slabs turn the downspout into a beautiful waterfall that directs the water away from the house and into a gravel reception bed.

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Image courtesy of Stone Center of Indiana

#14 Where the Grass Won't Grow

There are certain parts of some yards where grass simply won't grow, such as around trees. While it might grow while this tree is small creating a rock garden like this one offers a beautiful alternative and gives you somewhere to plant a few of your favorite shrubs.

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Image courtesy of Home Design Lover

#15 Barney Rubble Lives Here

Chances are good, the last time you saw a rock bench like this was in Barney Rubble's house. Rock is the perfect medium for outdoor furniture that will last virtually forever and only look better with age. (I love the way the owner added throw pillows for a little extra comfort.

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Image courtesy of Big Sky Landscaping

#16 Climbing the Stairway to Heaven

Take a look at the amazing stairway this homeowner built from large slabs of rock. He even gave them a solid rock wall to keep the soil underneath from eroding. Remember rocks can become slippery when wet so choose your rocks carefully.

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Gardensdecor.Com

#17 Create a Low Maintenance Garden Border

This homeowner created a low maintenance garden border between the sidewalk and the lawn. Using rocks like this along with mulch helps to keep weeds from growing and significantly reduces the amount of water needed to keep the plants alive.

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Image courtesy of The Diaper Cake Home Trend

#18 I'm Just a Stepping Stone

You can use small rocks like these to create stepping stones throughout your lawn or your gardens. You can cement them in place or leave them loose so you can move them if you need to. The fun part is creating your own unique pathways running all over the yard.

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Image courtesy of Pinterest

#19 Make it Unique

Take a good look at how this homeowner used rocks running through the center of his garden to break up the mulch and give his garden a very unique look. The red shrubs add a stunning touch of color to a very neutral color palette.

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Image courtesy of Hometalk

#20 The Finishing Touch

While the pavers and plastic border piece are an excellent way to create this lovely garden, this homeowner went one step further. Adding the border of white rocks along with the pink pavers creates a remarkable image.

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Image courtesy of Southern Stone

#21 Grey Seems to Be the In Color

This homeowner made use of a wide range of "grey" colored rocks to create his dream entryway. If you look in the background, you can see the grey theme is carried on to the garden walls. The white stones in the garden offer a nice offset to the mulched garden