Four main components are involved in the creation of the landscape — these are earth, water, vegetation and stones. The latter are one of the most versatile ways to work with design. At the same time, environmental conditions practically do not matter to them. And the boulders themselves are suitable for creating symmetry in space, they always look as natural as possible and form a certain style.

For example, the right combination of stones in the design of the garden will help to give it a rural flavor or a strict castle style. Noteworthy in this case is the Japanese minimalist approach, in which stones of different sizes are the main and only design element.

Natural and artificial stone for garden decoration

Both types of stones are used in landscape design. Natural ones have a variety of colors, sizes and characteristics, however, they have to be selected according to the style of the garden.

At the same time, there is no such problem with artificial stone, it can be anything. Color and texture, shape and size, strength and resistance to external factors — it is possible to set almost any characteristics. Special compositions, additives and forms are commercially available, which allows you to make such stones even on your own.

Classification of stones for garden decoration by shape and size

Landscape design has long been a professional business and it is not surprising that it has a division of the elements used by type. Stones for landscape design in this case are no exception and they are divided into several main groups.

• The largest of them are called blocks, and their characteristic feature, in addition to size, is their angularity and sharp edges. With their help, alpine slides, masonry and other landscape elements are created.
• However, boulders are more in demand in design. They can be both angular and rounded, but rather medium in size and therefore more versatile. They are used to give the landscape more natural naturalness.
• Cobblestones also belong to the same category of medium-sized stones, but unlike boulders, they are always rounded and more uniform. Due to the latter quality, they are often used for decorative framing of paths or flower beds, and even for the construction of fences.
• Naturally, a small stone in landscape design is also used. It includes crushed stone, stone chips and pebbles. They are used for mulching garden paths, free space and as constituent elements of compositions / patterns.

Types of natural stone for landscape design

Real natural stones can be adjusted in size, but their other characteristics have to be taken into account when working. But there are many types of them, which allows you to choose the right one for a specific purpose. Here are examples of the main types of natural stone used in landscape design.

• Granite is a hard rock of volcanic origin, which is widely used in garden design. Crushed stone, boulders, blocks are made from it and used for paving paths. It is strong, mostly gray-red in color and has a fair amount of durability.
• Basalt belongs to the same type of rocks, therefore it has practically similar characteristics. It is also durable, weather resistant and has similar uses to granite in landscaping. But its color scheme is somewhat different and varies from light gray to black with a green tint.
• Marble is another strong and hard stone, suitable for almost everything. It is used both in the form of blocks, and simple rubble. In addition, marble is popular as a material for creating sculptures and tiles.
• Tuff is a hard stone from yellow sand to pink. It has a porous structure, but despite this it is quite strong and resistant to environmental conditions. It is used both for filling, and for finishing, and as decorative cobblestones.
• Somewhat similar to tuff sandstone, but it has a finer structure. Befitting its name, its color is most similar to yellow sand. He found an application similar to the aforementioned stone.
• Slate is mostly a finishing material. It is prickly and layered, so classic rubble does not work out of it. But in some cases it is still used for mulching.
• Limestone is mostly gray stone, but it can also be yellowish or reddish. It is mainly used in the form of crushed stone and stone chips, however, even sculptures are made from it.

Advantages of artificial stone in landscape design

Currently, artificial stone is more often used in landscape design. For this, there are a number of factors that make such a choice optimal.

First of all, it is worth noting that they are lighter. This greatly simplifies the work even with the largest of them. By the way, there are no size restrictions for them; you can create a stone of almost any size. Also, artificial stones have no restrictions on color, texture or shape. In fact, they can be made as elements of a staircase or a decorative insert for something.