River Stone in a Landscape

Pathways

• River stones with at least one flat side can be create pathways. Choose a stone that is at least one square foot to ensure ample footing. If one side of the rock is rugged,put that side face down, buried in the soil so the other side is level. Add a pathway to direct traffic through your yard so your grass isn't trampled. A small river stone pathway in your flowerbed not only increases the aesthetic appeal of the bed but also gives you somewhere to stand while you tend to your flowers without worrying about damaging them.

Garden Walls

• A garden wall of river stone gives landscapes the inviting and charming look of a cottage garden. Stack rocks carefully to create a wall that stands on its own, making sure that larger rocks are placed on the bottom for stability. If your landscape is hilly, you can create an attractive retaining wall to connect the different levels throughout your yard.

  The stones also help to prevent erosion, ensuring that the roots of flowers planted above the wall will have enough soil to grow. You can soften the rocks by planting vines to climb on the wall. Just be sure to keep the vines trimmed so they don't take over the wall and pull it down.

Flower Borders

• Use river stones placed side-by-side to outline your flowerbeds so they stand out from the rest of your lawn. Borders also provide a barrier to protect your flowers from careless grass cutting. Choose rocks between 6 and 12 inches in diameter to make sure the border is visible. Arrange the flowerbed and river stone in wavy lines to break away from the harsh lines of boring square beds.

Water Features

• River rocks are natural candidate for use in water features. Arrange rocks in a haphazard pile around a small pipe to create a simple water feature in which a small trickle of water flows over the rocks. Use the stones to line a Koi pond for a more natural and attractive look than plain black plastic.

  Landscape designer Paula Refi uses river stone to solve the unsightly problem caused by water drainage areas that flow through the yards of many suburban homes. She uses the river stone to create a dry creek bed that will support the flow of water but looks as though it occurred naturally. Plants flourish on either side of the creek bed, resulting on a breathtaking landscape that looks effortless.

Mulch

• Many landscapers use rocks as mulch to control weeds in the landscape. Small river pebbles and stones up to 4 inches in diameter work best for this type of mulch. Stone mulch should be used with landscaping fabric underneath to help hold moisture because rocks absorb heat and reflect light, which leads to additional water evaporation.

  You can arrange them around your plants in any flower bed --- just make sure you leave a few inches free around the base of each plant. River stones can also be mulch and border around building foundations, helping with drainage and preventing the attraction of termites that is common with wood mulches.