Gravel Gardens, hints and tips

Planning

Gravel gardens are becoming a popular choice for low-maintenance gardens, but you need to be aware that the poor soil conditions and sharp drainage of a true gravel garden limit the range of plants that can be grown. When you put down a gravel mulch over normal soil you need to bear this in mind because suitable plants for a gravel garden are drought-tolerant and appreciate the free-draining, relatively low-fertile soil which prevents the more vigorous plants from becoming too lush and smothering some of the slower-growing specimens. In your garden the richer soil means these plants may run away with themselves and strangle others.

Colour

The traditional colour for gravel gardens is grey. While coloured gravel is available, it’s advisable not to use more than two colours – preferably grey plus one accent colour – or the stone will begin to distract the eye from the plants which is a shame. Also the grave colours get mixed over time and that can end up just looking messy.

Maintenance

Maintenance of a gravel garden involves mulching, weeding and pruning. A mulch of around 2 – 3 inches of gravel will retain a lot of valuable soil moisture while plants are establishing. Ideally you should make your garden of compost or straw covered with gravel to ensure that moisture is held in. Then gravel levels can be topped up as and when required.

Weeding will be most intensive in the first few years of establishment, before the ornamental plants develop. After this, the plants will take up the available space and you are more likely to find yourself pulling out seedlings from your chosen ornamentals than picking out either annual or perennial weeds.

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