Which Decorative Stone is Best for your Garden?

One of the key ways in which you can make your garden stand out is by introducing adding decorative stones to it. But there are plenty of different varieties to choose from – so which one is best for you?

Madingley Mulch supply decorative garden stones to customers in Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Bedfordshire and Suffolk. Here we look at some of the main advantages that each type can offer.

Slate Chippings

If getting weeds under control is your priority – perhaps because you want a low-maintenance garden – then slate chippings are an excellent choice. They effectively act as a form of mulch, suppressing the unwanted plants at source, while also retaining moisture for the flowers and shrubs you do want to encourage. However, because the slate doesn’t have any organic content, it won’t work as well as a traditional mulch.

Gravel

This comes in all shapes and sizes, and it has a variety of different functions. For instance, smaller types such as pea gravel will drain very effectively if you use it as a form of mulch in flower beds and pots.

However, the smaller stones can shift about underfoot and under car wheels as well, which means it is less suitable as a base for a path or driveway.  A more substantial type of stone, such as granite chippings, is a better choice in these circumstances, as the stones are larger and more irregularly shaped.

Pebbles and Cobbles

These rounded stones have a smooth finish which makes them a stylish, attractive addition to any garden. They can be used as part of a rock garden or rockery, or as infill in more conventional flower beds.

Pebbles and cobbles will also help protect your plants, as they will deter people from walking on them. Pets, particularly cats, are less likely to dig them up or use them as a toilet than they might do with a conventional mulch or gravel.

Larger Rocks and Boulders

Larger stones, rocks and boulders are an extremely versatile and durable ingredient for many gardeners. If you find that part of your garden is a ‘no-grow’ zone, maybe because it doesn’t get much sun or the soil quality is poor, then buy a few large rock or boulders and you have the starting point for a rockery or alpine garden. The stones will survive in all weathers, and they will also act as a shelter for any plants you do introduce in and around them.

You can also use these larger stones in a more functional way. For instance, you can arrange them to keep items such as waste bins and hosepipes hidden from view, as a boundary to divide up one part of your garden from another, or as part of a safety feature such as a pond wall. 

Decorative Garden Stones from Madingley Mulch

At Madingley Mulch we can supply a wide selection of decorative garden stones to customers in Hertfordshire, Suffolk and Essex as well as our home county of Cambridgeshire. These include 20mm and 40mm slate chippings in blue, plum and green. Our range of gravel includes 6mm horticultural grit and shingle, 10mm blue stone and gravel, 20mm charcoal stone and golden gravel, and green or pink/grey granite chippings.

We also stock a selection of associated products, such as weed suppressant membranes and crushed limestone and pure granite, which you can lay down as a sub-base layer underneath larger stones and cobbles. Follow this link to check out our full range of products.

If you do want to place a substantial order for some of our decorative stones, we offer free delivery to all addresses within 15 miles of our base on the outskirts of Cambridge. There is a £20 charge to all locations within 24.5 miles, and we can deliver further away as well. Our regular weekly delivery service operates in Haverhill, Saffron Walden, Comberton, and many other towns and villages in the area.

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