The use of masonry elements is a versatile landscaping tool for creating stunning outdoor spaces on Long Island, NY. Stone can be incorporated in a variety of ways and offers practicality, a sense of permanence and a characterful aesthetic. Here are a few of the ways that natural stone products can be used to transform your landscape.
Gravel
Gravel consists of pieces of crushed rock, typically crushed to sizes 3/8’’ and 3/4’’, and is available in a variety of colors. Crushed gravel has a modern look and provides excellent drainage. Because of its effective drainage capabilities, gravel also reduces the amount of dirt and dust attracted to areas where it is used. A multitude of color options are available to match your taste, and multiple color options can be mixed to create unique designs. Gravel can be used to cover smaller walkways, separate plantings and limit weed growth. Gravel can also cover large areas of your yard as a texture-rich paver or lawn substitute.
Flagstone
Flagstone is a large, irregular flat stone that is available in a variety of colors, textures, and sizes. Normally used to pave an area, flagstone may be used as a veneer for vertical structures as well. Using flagstone is an affordable way to pave an outdoor space or walkway. Individual slabs can also be used as stepping stones and can be used in combination with a variety of materials between the stones, such as pebbles, gravel, or moss.
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Beach Pebble
Beach pebbles are flat, rounded rocks, ranging in size from 1/2’’ to 3’’. They are available in greyish-black with a mix of color options. Beach pebbles offer a stylish and sophisticated design for projects such as topdressing container plantings, pathways, and borders around planters and boulders. Beach pebble can also contribute a natural character to flowing water features or ponds.
River Rock
Similar to beach pebble, but available in larger sizes, river rock can be used in the design of realistic dry river beds and create an appealing border between paved and landscape areas.
Natural Stone Walls
Be it for framing an outdoor space or holding back slopes as a retaining wall, stone walls are an attractive landscape feature with a variety of design profiles. From Old World-style boulder walls to modern styles incorporating polished granite slabs, natural stone walls create an unforgettable impression on visitors to your landscape.
Natural Stone Steps
The style of walls incorporated in your landscape can also extend into other features of your yard. Stone steps are durable, weatherproof, and can add a more naturalistic element to the structures linking outdoor spaces. Rough-hewn boulder steps blend naturally with a rustic space while large, flat natural rocks stacked to form stairs serve just as well in a cultivated landscape as in a woodland area. Stone most commonly used for these purposes are limestone, granite and sandstone, although a number of options exist. For variation, different materials can be used to create the tread, the riser and horizontal plane of the step.
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