How to Use Decorative Stone and Gravel to Cut Your Sprinkler Bill in Half

The Expense of Irrigation vs Decorative Stone

Maintaining a pristine turf lawn takes no shortage of effort and water. Especially depending on the layout of your yard, tree coverage, and climate, growing grass can be a costly experience. Luckily, there is a way to have a quality looking yard without ginormous water bills - decorative stone. 

Looking great and with minimal upkeep required, decorative stone can drastically cut down on time and resources to have a classy-looking yard. Below, we’ll dive into what makes some areas so hard to grow turf within as well as how certain aggregates can dramatically improve your experience curating a beautiful outdoor space.

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Targeted Turf Reduction in Low-Utility and Hard-to-Water Zones

Depending on lawn layout, grass in certain areas can be much harder to grow than others. Here are some red flags to look for in turf location:

Converting Side Yards and Steep Slops to Aggregate

Small side yards, especially those with steep slops, make for great aggregate candidates. Many of these steep slopes will struggle to hold the required moisture needed for good grass growth. Even if they do, cutting the grass to maintain that area will certainly be a pain. Aggregates on a steep slope not only reduce that maintenance required, but can even support superior drainage and resilience where unprotected slopes will begin to erode.

Replacing High-Evaporation Street Strips with Pea Gravel

Small grass strips along the street/driveway are prime areas to replace. These small strips, being sandwiched between higher-temperature pavement, experience high evaporation that can cook the turf within. Switching to an aggregate like pea gravel not only looks fantastic, but will drastically cut down on the water needed to maintain that great look.

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Utilizing Gravel and Landscape Fabric to Lock Soil Moisture in Place

Gravel and landscape fabric can be a great solution to help lock soil moisture into place. This can be useful around garden/flower beds to help the plants inside get what they need without needing excessive water to achieve these goals.

How a 3-Inch Stone Layer Cuts Ground Evaporation

A 3-inch stone layer tends to be the sweet spot for dramatically reducing ground evaporation. At 3 inches, the sun struggles to evaporate the moisture underneath, trapping a ton of vapor, while the stone provides plenty of crevices for water to settle safely. Together, a solid stone layer can do wonders for keeping soil moisture in place and dramatically improve the drainage property of a site.

Selecting Permeable Underlayments to Route Rainfall

Certain permeable underlayments can be solid options to route rainfall and promote healthy drainage. Geotextile layers are an awesome way to separate vast amounts of moisture from eroding natural soils or creating flood zones. With controlled run-off, you can have an elegant design for the drainage you need.

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Creating Functional Stone Hardscapes That Require Zero In-Ground Water

One of the most exciting aspects of hardscape designs is that they look great and require zero in-ground water. Here are some basic ideas of how hardscapes can be incorporated into your yard layout:

Replacing Turf Areas with Crushed Stone Patios

High-use turf areas make for great candidates to become a crushed stone patio. Crushed stone patios not only look great, but, naturally, require zero in-ground water to maintain. On top of that, crushed stone patios will demonstrate superior drainage when compared to a regular turf lawn alternate, ultimately creating a more dynamic outdoor space for you to enjoy.

Building Dry Riverbeds to Route Natural Runoff

Stone hardscapes excel at creating dry riverbeds as well. In dry weather, these riverbeds can look great and require minimal maintenance, especially having to do with water. When rain does come, a properly designed riverbed will turn into a natural route for runoff. Directing water to designated drainage sites has never been so easy while looking so good.

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Selecting Drought-Tolerant Varieties for Stone Planting Beds

Opting for hardscapes doesn’t mean that plants are gone in their entirety. Instead, opting for drought-tolerant varieties can be a great way to fuse superior drainage with some green. Here are some excellent plant options for your hardscape:

Best Ornamental Grasses and Succulents for Rock Gardens

Your exact climate may change what grasses and succulents truly thrive in your rock garden, but here are some great names to start with: Blue fescue, Mexican feather grass, and dwarf fountain grass are all excellent grass options to bring a splash of color to your rock bed. Succulents-wise, stonecrop, ice plant, and hardy cacti can be great options to get plants thriving in your hardscape.

Setting Up Low-Volume Drip Irrigation for Hardscape Plants

For a more adventurous solution to keep plants alive in your hardscape, setting up a low-volume drip irrigation can be a great option. Running a small tubing system under the landscape with appropriate pressure regulator can bring a small, steady drip to plants in your hardscape allowing for more water-reliant plants to thrive none-the-less.

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Transitioning Your Yard Layout to Drastically Lower Your Monthly Water Costs

Moving your yard layout away from water-hungry grasses to a hardscape design will drastically lower your monthly water costs right away! Small strips next to the road, steep slopes, and dry climates all create perfect opportunities to cut out costly grass and get some decorative stone involved instead. For all your decorative stone needs for your hardscape project, look no further than Landscape Barn. With a great variety in stones offered, you can find the optimal hardscape for your yard. Call or go online today to see how Landscape Barn can be your one-stop-shop for all things hardscape and decorative stone.

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