Landscape Design Using Stone

Fences

• Dry-stacked stone fences may not be the easiest type of fence to build, but they can last for decades with minimum maintenance. Frame a stone fence as a focal point by planting vibrant, low-growing flowers like geraniums along the base. When built around a patio or garden area, they offer a feeling of enclosure. When designing a stone fence, check with local building codes to see how tall and close to the street you are allowed to build. Many areas restrict fences if there is a chance they will block a driver's ability to see oncoming traffic, particularly if you live on a corner.

Walkways

• Depending on the style and type of stone you use, a stone walkway can look rustic and timeless or chic and modern. Landscape stones are available as cut or snapped pieces. Snapped pieces of slate or flagstone can be arranged like a jigsaw puzzle with grass or pea gravel in the joints. Use uniform rectangular pieces of bluestone if you prefer a more geometric pattern. Stone walkways are naturally weather-resistant. When set on a base of gravel and sand, use edge restraints to prevent the pieces from moving.

Edging

• Stone edging looks natural along gardens, gravel walkways, ponds and waterfalls. It retains soil and mulch in gardens and prevents grass from encroaching. The shapes of your features are defined sharply by stone edging. Before you break ground to install the base, consider if you want to extend gardens or add more curves to soften the yard. Stones give you the flexibility to reshape square gardens and simply backfill the expanded areas with mulch until you're ready to plant there.

Patio

• Adding a patio to a yard creates an outdoor space for the family to socialize, relax and have meals together. Stone patios are a practical landscaping solution to areas with poor growing conditions. You can design a stone patio with pavers, cut tiles or naturally shaped fieldstone, flagstone, slate or bluestone among the options. Choose cut stone of different sizes to create a mosaic surface or uniform pavers to be laid in a classic basket weave or herringbone pattern.