How to Landscape With Black Pebbles

Spread a layer of black pebbles around foundation plants, drawing attention to the house's facade. Accent the eye-catching contrast between the pebbles' dark tones and the house's exterior wall color with bright green shrubs and perennials with robust foliage and bright colors, such as black-eyed Susans and purple coneflowers.

Separate the gray concrete surfaces of walkways, the patio and the driveway from lawn with a divider strip filled with black pebbles. Use small-sized black pebbles for a subtle transition from the light-colored hardscape to the softness of grass and flowerbeds. For a more dramatic transition, place larger polished black pebbles in a wide strip next to the concrete.

Lay black pebbles along the sides of a water feature to accentuate the water's transparency. Extend a swath of black pebbles down the side and into a pond or stream bed where the stones' surfaces shine when sun rays fall on the water. For a more formal design, replicate the ripples and flow of a stream by laying out adjacent strips of large pebbles, medium-sized and smaller pebbles in undulating curved patterns.

Create a black pebble-covered garden path that stands out in sharp contrast from the surrounding greenery. Line the pathway with black vinyl edging to hold the pebbles in place without detracting from their coloring. Insert light-gray, almost white, stepping stones in the middle of the black pebbles to draw the eye along the path's line and provide sturdy places to plant your feet along the walkway.

Embed black pebbles in mortar to make a permanent, low-maintenance mosaic. Ideal for landscaping a seating area tucked into a corner of your garden, the mosaic may be as simple as a grid pattern with black pebbles in alternating squares. For a more complex design accented with lines and swirls made of agates or other colorful stones, lay out the pattern on a large piece of cardboard before transferring each small stone into wet mortar.