Types of Red Rock for Landscaping

Landscaping with Stone

• Landscaping with stone is an art form. Hardscaping, which is the use of stone to provide texture and feature to a landscape, "should complement the softscaping, or the plants, so that they blend into a natural-looking, attractive composition" according to Great Landscaping Ideas page on "Stone Landscaping." Red rock has become increasingly popular in the last 15 years, according to Nikki Hayden's April 2011 article in the Front Range Living newsletter.

Red Rock

• Red rock comes from a variety of natural and artificial sources. Natural sources include volcanic lava, which "can vary from dark red to a lighter burnt orange," according to Red Dome, Inc., and red Colorado sandstone. Artificial sources usually result from "shale, sandstone, clay and siltstone fired red by the intense heat from burning in old coal slag piles," according to Fuller Five Landscape Supply's online article "Rare Red Rock." All types of red rock are screened by size and available at home improvement stores. You can also look for well-priced online deals from wholesalers or discount retail stores, but remember that you will incur increased shipping costs and deal with receiving and installation yourself.

Suggestions for Landscaping with Red Rock

• Red Rock can be acquired as landscaping boulders, field stones or small gravels. Boulders can be placed as eye-drawing garden elements or on either side of a waterfall to increase the beauty of the water feature and ensure that all water returns to the pool to be re-cycled. Field stones can be used along paths; sealed and used as indoor or outdoor flooring; or even used as paving stones, as long as they are two to four inches thick, according to Boulder University of Colorado campus architect Bill Deno in the Front Range Living article. Gravels can be used in rock gardens, as a walkway cover, or between raised garden beds. Use your own creativity and the resources below as a guide.

Alternatives to Red Rock

• The popularity of red rock has made it increasingly expensive and often hard to come by. In the case of red Colorado sandstone, Bill Deno offers up buff sandstone as being less expensive and "just as beautiful," according to the Front Range Living article by Niki Hayden. In the case of artificially created red rock, few options exist for making your own unless you have access to great heat such as that produced by a forge. Use red rock sparingly to create a visual punch in a few locations, and you will achieve the look of luxury offered by red rock at an affordable price.