10 Creative Ways to use Pebbles
10 Creative Ways to use Pebbles
Get the Guide: 10 Creative Ways with Pebbles
Pebbles are a great way to add visual and textural interest to your garden or outdoor area. By incorporating pebbles into your landscape design, you can make your garden or outdoor space appear stylish and luxurious. You can use pebbles to fill an empty area and give it character, as well as create an organic and natural space.
At Stone & Water World, we have a large range of decorative pebble available in a variety of sizes, shapes and colours. There's something to complement any design.
Here are 10 amazing ways you can use pebbles for your next project:
1. Ground Cover
Whether you have a neglected and uneven corner, an eroding pathway, or an unkempt and unwanted lawn, pebbles offer good even coverage and add a pop of colour to these areas. Pebbles can also be placed over a weed mat for an instant facelift. It’s best to use 20-30mm pebbles with 50-70mm depth of coverage if there will be foot traffic.
2. Zen Rock Garden
A Zen rock garden usually contains moss islands, an evocative boulder or two, and raked pebbles. You can create dimension and visual interest by utilising darker colours, such as having a lower border of flat rectangular stones set around smooth pebbles. The garden can be protected from children or pets with a raised terrace.
3. Drainage
Pebbles are a great way to hide drains or grates whilst retaining drainage. You can cover grates on a spillover or strip drains in paved areas to add contrast and texture without affecting drainage and water flow.
4. Garden Mulch
Pebbles can also be used as mulch in garden beds, where they can protect the soil from erosion, sunlight and weeds. What’s more, pebble mulch can last a lifetime! Pebble mulch is generally best suited for native and arid gardens where composted organics aren’t as high in demand.
5. Pot Plants
Decorative Pebbles are the perfect finishing touch for pots, jars or troughs. You can use pebbles to cover soil on the surface of pot plants to add texture and colour. As a bonus, they also help retain moisture and stop inquisitive household pets from digging up soil.
6. Aquascaping
Pebbles are a great way to create an underwater landscape, you can use different sizes to create a ground cover, hills and boulders. Using different colours can also add interest or define spaces to highlight plants or features.
7. Pebble Art
Create an eye-catching, magical landscape by forming patterns or shapes in an area of your lawn and outlining them with pebbles. You can make a chequerboard effect, a miniature maze, or big circles on the grass by using pebbles to define or fill them. You can also make footprints or flowers using pebbles of different shapes, sizes and colours and the kids will have a great time helping out. Check out local artist John Botica's work for inspiration (Instagram: @powerofpebbles).
8. Multi-Textured Pathway
Pebbles can be used to fill in and define a walkway or pathway and are great for use with stepping stones. Choose a pebble that complements your steppers for continuity or a colour that contrasts with the walkway or pathway in order to highlight the area. Pebbles can also be mixed with other stones along the path to create more texture and movement.
9. The Kindness Rock Project
If you go down to the beach today, you may get a surprise: a smooth pebble painted with a colourful picture or an uplifting message. This is the Kindness Rock Project and it's a kindness movement that has connected thousands of people around the world.
To take part, simply decorate a pebble using acrylic paint or permanent pens, then seal it against the weather (using clear nail polish or varnish) and write the name of your local Kindness Rock Project Facebook group [NZ KRP Facebook Group] on the back. Hide it in a safe place and wait for someone to find it and post on your group, then watch its journey.
10. Decoy Strawberries
Pebble painting with a practical twist! If the blackbirds are claiming crop after crop of your precious strawberries, place decoy painted strawberries around the garden. It's a great way to hide your fruit and put the birds off.
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