How to Landscape Rocks & Slabs

Find interesting rocks or large slabs. If you are interested in landscaping the rocks for their beauty and decorative value, you can’t use boring, plain, or common-looking specimens. Landscape outlets, online companies and rock and gravel companies will definitely have a selection of interesting stones to choose from.

Consider themes and what fits best in your garden. If you have a landscape theme, this will greatly help you in placing your rocks without their looking out of place or awkward. Will they be used along pathways? Are you using the stones in a water feature? Will they be mixed into the landscape? Ask yourself these types of questions and do some planning before choosing sizes and placement.

Bury your rocks partially to make their placement look more natural. Dig 4 inches or so into the ground for large rocks. Dig less for smaller rocks.

Cover the area around your rocks with ground cover, if you use it. Transplant some from a nearby area. Most ground covers spread rapidly, so if you don’t transplant, it will quickly move to cover the area. This makes the rock look even more like it belongs there.

Pay for large slabs to be transported and placed in the landscape by machinery. You will also need to make sure any vehicles or machines won’t damage the surrounding plants.

Make sure you don’t evenly space the rocks. This is the one thing that will make your new elements look totally fake and out of place. Attempt to re-create how rocks are placed in nature to achieve the best effect.

Make the rocks stand out. Landscape around them and use them as focal points if they are especially beautiful. Display the better sides of the rocks and don’t just use them to cover up ugly areas or electric boxes.