Stones in garden design

Stones in nature are so common that sometimes we forget that they can also be a decorative element in the garden. In this article we have classified them in order to show you some examples of how they can be used.

Stones in planters

In addition to being decorative, they retain moisture and help against soil erosion. Usually, a large stone is placed in the larger pots and a small stone in the smaller ones. There is no restriction on the type of stone used, it can be from marble to gravel or tezontle (volcanic rock highly used in Mexico). In cacti and succulents, the tezontle is usually used between the substrate, since this type of plants, when having prolonged contact with wet substrate, could rot.
The use of stones in planters prevent the soil from splashing on them, on its walls or on the plants themselves; This not only helps in the aesthetics and cleaning of the area and the plant, but also in the conservation of the substrate for a longer time. Also, in homes with pets, it helps dogs, cats, etc., not to scratch the dirt or mistake it for their personal toilet. Some stones such as tezontle, tepezil or gravel, are commonly mixed with the soil to create looser substrates.

Stones in small planters
Photography: Wibhas-onnom – Pexels  

Stones in large planters
Photography: Pexels 

Stones on the ground

They are an element that currently serve as an important piece at the time of landscape design, since in an aesthetic way they are used to trace paths, delimit areas, fill empty spaces and highlight the contrasts of colors that our garden may have.

Using stones as a part of a landscape design is on trend, and has many applications; everything will depend on the style you are looking for. As for the benefits for our outdoor garden, they are practically the same as for a planter, although with greater impact: stones avoid erosion and soil compaction, they also help maintain the humidity and temperature of the earth; and although not all stones have nutritional contributions for our plants, each one of them is beautiful.

White marble
Photography: vivero jardín del mono 

pink marble Fotografía
Photography: vivero jardín del mono 

pink marble
Photography: vivero jardín del mono

As already mentioned previously, the stones not only serve to give that special touch to your garden or pot, but many of them are made up of valuable mineral elements, necessary for
the growth of the plant. Such is the case of the tezontle and the tepezil. The first is a volcanic stone usually reddish in color (although there is also black and yellow), its main constitution is aluminum silicate. It is characterized by its rough texture and low weight. Tepezil, for its part, is similar in texture and low weight, although its mineral richness is much greater, being widely used in the preparation of substrates for different desert plants.

Zen garden
Photography: Terje-sollie – Pexels 

Paths
Photography: Tirachard-kumtanom – Pexels