Landscaping Guides
Plain, useful guides on choosing, buying, and installing landscape rock. Coverage math, material comparisons, step-by-step projects, and design ideas from our California yards.
Best Rocks for a Succulent Garden
The best rocks for succulents are fine decomposed granite top-dressing, pebbles for ground cover, and boulders for structure. Here is how drainage and sizing keep your plants healthy.
Landscaping With Bark Mulch: Benefits and Best Uses
Bark mulch holds moisture, blocks weeds, steadies soil temperature, and feeds the soil. Here are its benefits, the best places to use it, how deep to lay it, and the mulch versus rock tradeoffs.
How Much Bark Mulch Do I Need? A Coverage Guide
One cubic yard of bark mulch covers about 100 square feet at 3 inches deep. The formula, a coverage table, how deep to spread, and how often to refresh.
Using Rock Around Plants and Garden Beds
How to use rock and pebble as bed cover and borders: weed suppression, moisture, clean edges, and which stone fits which planting bed.
Drought-Tolerant Landscaping With Rock
Replace thirsty lawn with low-water rock ground cover, boulders, and drought-tolerant plants to cut water use and upkeep while keeping curb appeal.
Xeriscaping With Landscape Rock: A Water-Wise Yard Guide
Xeriscaping uses landscape rock to replace thirsty lawn with a low-water yard. Here is which rocks do the work, why it saves water, and how to design a rock xeriscape.
Sloped Yard Rock Solutions for Stability and Looks
Landscape a slope with rock that holds the grade and stops erosion: boulder terraces, rip rap armor, ground-cover gravel, dry creek beds, and stabilized DG paths.
Landscape Rock Drainage Solutions to Stop Yard Flooding
Fix a yard that floods or pools after rain with rock-based drainage: French drains, gravel swales, dry creek beds, dry wells, and permeable gravel areas. Here is how each works.
Landscape Rock for Drainage and Erosion Control
Rip rap, river rock, gravel, and boulders control erosion by slowing runoff and shielding bare soil on slopes and in channels. Here is how to size and place the stone.
How to Build a Dry Creek Bed: A Step-by-Step Guide
A dry creek bed channels runoff and looks like a natural streambed. Dig a curving channel, line it with fabric, set boulders on the banks, and fill with graded river rock. Full steps inside.
Landscape Rock Design Trends for 2026
The 2026 landscape rock trends: water-wise lawn replacement, muted natural palettes, statement boulders, dry creek beds, and mixed-texture gravel. See how to get each look.
Top Landscape Rock Myths, Debunked
The most common landscape rock myths debunked, from maintenance-free claims to heat, decomposed granite, plants, and whether you need a base and edging.
Landscape Edging Guide: Containing Rock and Gravel
Landscape edging keeps loose rock, gravel, and decomposed granite contained, holds the shape of beds and paths, and blocks weeds at the border. Here is how to choose and install it.
How to Build a Flagstone Patio: A DIY Guide
Build a dry-laid flagstone patio: excavate, compact a gravel base, add bedding sand or DG, set the stones level with even joints, then fill the joints. Full DIY steps inside.
Flagstone vs. Pavers: Which Is Right for Your Patio?
Flagstone gives a natural, irregular surface, pavers give a flat, uniform one that installs faster and repairs easily. Compare look, install, cost, and durability.
How Is Landscape Rock Delivered? Bags, Pallets, and Bulk
How landscape rock ships: samples, bags, supersacks, pallets, and bulk truckload, how to pick a size, and what to expect on delivery day.
River Rock vs. Pea Gravel for Drainage: Which Should You Use?
River rock moves more water, pea gravel gives a walkable surface. Here is which gravel to use for French drains, dry creek beds, downspouts, and beds.
Landscaping With River Rock and Pebble: Ideas and Uses
River rock and pebble work in dry creek beds, drainage zones, borders, and water features. Here is how to size them and where each one shines, plus why they stay low maintenance.
Landscaping With Crushed Rock and Gravel: A Practical Guide
Crushed rock and gravel handle driveways, paths, base layers, and drainage. Here is what they are, why fines help them compact firm, and how they compare to decomposed granite.
How to Choose a Landscape Rock Color
How to choose a landscape rock color that matches your house and hardscape, why light changes the look, and why a sample matters before buying bulk.
Landscaping with Boulders: Placement Ideas and How to Set Them
A well placed boulder anchors a yard. Here are the placement ideas that look natural, how to choose size, and the burial trick that makes stone look like it grew there.
Landscaping With Pea Gravel: Ideas and Installation Guide
Pea gravel is cheap, drains well, and installs fast for paths, patios, play areas, dog runs, and beds. Here are the best projects, how to install it, and the edging rule that keeps it tidy.
Fall Landscape Rock Checklist: Prepping for Winter
A fall checklist for rock landscapes: clear leaves and drains, prep dry creek beds and swales, top up mulch, refresh edging, and inspect slopes before the winter rains.
How to Install a Decomposed Granite Patio or Path
Build a firm, natural decomposed granite patio or path in a weekend. Excavate, compact a base, add stabilized DG, and compact again. Full step by step plus how deep to go.
Best Landscape Rock for a Patio: Top Materials Compared
The best rock for a patio compacts into a firm, level surface. Stabilized decomposed granite and crushed gravel lead for natural patios, flagstone and pavers for hard surfaces. Here is the full comparison.
Best Landscape Rock for Pathways and Walkways
Decomposed granite is the most popular pathway rock because it compacts firm and walkable. Compare DG, stabilized DG, crushed gravel, and pea gravel to pick the right path surface.
Decomposed Granite vs. Pea Gravel: Which Should You Use?
DG packs down firm for paths and patios. Pea gravel stays loose and drains fast. A side by side comparison to help you pick the right one, or use both.
Types of Landscape Rock: A Complete Guide
The main landscape rock types are decorative stone (river rock, pebbles, lava), crushed rock (decomposed granite, basalt, limestone), and gravel (pea, drainage, driveway, base rock). The right one depends on the project, drainage, color, and depth.
What Is Stabilized Decomposed Granite? A Plain Explainer
Stabilized decomposed granite is DG mixed with a binder that locks the fines together so the surface stays firm, sheds water, and resists tracking. Here is how it differs from loose DG and where to use it.
How Much Decomposed Granite Do I Need? A Plain Coverage Guide
Plan on about 1 ton of decomposed granite per 100 square feet at 2 inches deep. Here is how to get an exact number for your project, plus how DG is sold and how deep to go.
Landscaping With Decomposed Granite: Uses and Ideas
Decomposed granite is a low-cost, natural material for paths, patios, xeriscapes, beds, and tree rings. Here are the best uses, how to choose a color, and when to stabilize it.
No guides match that search. Try another term or category.