Different Decorative Landscaping Looks of Real Stone

Veneers and Pavers

• One look that's possible with real stones is a paved surface, which you can apply to walkways, patio floors and walls of buildings. You can achieve this look by using pavers, small and regular pieces of stone with flat faces. Alternately, you can use veneer, a means of slicing thin sections of stone to cover a broad area. Typically, veneer gives the same visual effect as pavers, but it's under 2 inches in width, making it an exceptionally lightweight option.

Accent Boulders

• For a stone look that gives your landscape the interest and texture of a natural environment, place boulders in your yard as accent features. You can select boulders in a range of colors and types of rock, including some with features such as mosses growing on them. To create an interesting variety of heights in your yard, balance large boulders with plantings of different plant species of various sizes.

Water Features

• To create the calming look of forest pools and waterfalls, use real stone to create interesting water features in your landscaping. If you have a reflecting pool or pond, use stone as a border around the pool's edges. You can give the area an even more naturalistic sense by planting grasses and other low-growing plants around the pool's perimeter. For a soothing waterfall effect, arrange stone vertically for the water to cascade over it.

Sleek Fences and Borders

• For an alternative to the wood or metal fence, you can use real stone to create a fence with equally sleek lines, ideal for modern and contemporary landscaping designs. Installing thin, broad slabs of stone in a "dry stack" method creates clean, horizontal lines across the fenced area. To add a decorative border to a planting area, set the stone in this "dry stack" method to a height of just a foot or so high. For a more substantial privacy fence, stack the stones to eye level or above. If you're looking to create a visual border for a raised bed, you can set flat stones in a "rip rap" style, setting them flat against the embankment of soil. This will cut down on erosion and provide a pleasing visual border.