Landscaping Ideas: How to Embrace Your Lawn and Garden

Rocks used in landscaping offer a chance to create a beautiful feature that will also be low maintenance and have a low lifetime cost. But how you use rocks throughout the landscape will go a long way toward making them the most interesting feature they can be. Here are five ways to use rock coloration in landscaping. 

1. Create Contrast. Does your yard or a section of it lack something of visual interest? Whether it's a lush area with a sea of green or a bland-colored fire pit, adding rocks of a contrasting color can give the whole area a makeover. Contrast draws the viewer's eye and creates a focal point.

2. Change the Vibe. While rocks as a product come in a particular color scheme, you can mix and match them for greater effect. For instance, adding colored stones of particular hues to a base of white rocks changes the vibe entirely. The white foundation is crisp and clean, but a mix of light blue turns it into a beachy look and a mix of earthy tones softens it. 

3. Lighten Up Areas. Did you know that rocks can actually brighten up your yard? Light colors — especially classic bleached white — reflect sunlight well and create more variation in darker spaces. This serves to make these spaces visually lighter and draws attention to what wasn't noticeable before. Use them to make more of your yard interesting and functional. 

4. Add Faux Features. Can you use rocks to mimic natural elements or create the look of certain hardscape elements right in your own yard? The most common way to do this is to use shades of blue rocks to design a faux stream or flow of water. This pairs well with a real water feature like a pool or spa, or you can use it to add a focal point to a large and underutilized part of the landscape. 

5. Make a Design. Finally, express your own creativity through rock design. Individual small rocks of various contrasting colors make an excellent paintbrush for your own artistic endeavor. Recreate a fun design you've seen elsewhere — inside or outdoors — or make your own freehand. And because it's composed of individual rocks, you can change it as often as you like. 

Want more ideas for using rock color to add interest to your yard? Start by touring the inventory at a landscape rock provider in your area today. You're sure to find inspiration for whatever features will turn your yard into a dream yard.