Whether you have a green thumb or prefer to let a professional landscaper handle your garden, walking through a lush garden can be wonderfully therapeutic. If you’re lucky enough to have a sprawling backyard with room for a fairytale-like garden, you should ensure that every part of it is accessible to be admired. Here are a few tips to get you started on planning a natural stone path for your Sussex County, NJ, garden:
Stone Slabs
A wide range of stone types can be acquired in the form of refined slabs, including Limestone, Bluestone, and Flagstone. These can be laid in a regular pattern for a neat and orderly appearance, or arranged according to a seemingly random layout. Consider selecting two or three different sizes of stone to create a pattern that looks more natural. The more sporadic your installation of stone slabs, the more naturalistic the path will look—you may even achieve a path that appears to have been exposed naturally over centuries of foot traffic. This look is also achievable using smaller stones, like gravel and pebbles.
Related: How to Spruce Up Your Sussex County, NJ, Landscape with Flagstone from Our Stone Supply
Groundcover
Groundcover is essential to incorporate a new stone path into the existing landscape. Allow groundcover to spread over the edges of your natural stone path to anchor it into the garden and give it a sense of permanence. Groundcover can even be allowed to infiltrate the joints between your stone pavers, giving the path an even older and more effortless appearance.
Related: Natural Stone: What You Need to Know About Flagstone Before Starting a Project in Bergen County, NJ
Verticals
Surrounding your paths with vertical features can enhance the experience of walking through your garden. Benches, for example, can be positioned in spots where you’d prefer the viewer to pause and appreciate the sights, smells, and sounds of the garden. Low seating walls can replace benches and can be constructed using natural stone, or built from concrete and covered by veneer that resembles natural stone.
Constructing a charming wall using natural boulders can be tricky but, when tackled by an experienced landscape contractor, can yield stunning results. The finished product will have a unique, fairytale-like appearance that will extend an irresistible invitation to sit back and relax. Concrete wall units can be used to construct reliable walls with impeccable longevity and structural integrity. To emulate the natural, harmonious look and feel of natural stone, these walls can be veneered with thin slabs of stone. Nobody would be able to tell the difference!
Related: Building a Boulder Retaining Wall? Visit Our Landscape Supply
Water Features
Water features are excellent additions to gardens because they produce a soothing soundtrack that is perfectly suited to the serene sense of nature. They can take the form of fountains, streams, or waterfalls—among others. Incorporating stone into a water feature can make it look more natural and allow it to blend seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. Arrange boulders and rocks along a slope, concealing underlying pipes and water outlets, to create a convincing stream. A stout wall comprised of boulders, anchored by a catchment area, can serve as the characterful body for a small waterfall. Water is bound to attract birds, so consider whether this will be a threat to your garden. If not, their song can greatly enhance the experience of walking along your new paths.
