Who could have guessed that the most hypnotizing hardscape material of the past decade would turn out to be humble gravel? Use our design guide, Gravel 101, to learn everything you need to know about the best gravel to choose for your hardscape project.
Photograph by Marta Xochilt Perez.
Pea Gravel
Domino magazine editor and Lonny co-founder Michelle Adams recently moved home to Michigan; her new garden has two gravel courtyards.
A decomposed granite (DG) path runs the length of a back garden and fast-growing fern pines (Podocarpus gracilior) create a privacy screen inside the back fence.
Decomposed Granite
Photograph by Mimi Giboin.
Patches of lavender and thyme grow in gravel, filling in the gaps between permeable pavers on a patio.
Permeable Patios
Photograph by Matthew Williams for Gardenista.
French Drains
The simple idea behind a French drain is this: dig a trench to channel water downhill and fill the trench with gravel so the water can filter down to the bottom of the trench. At the bottom install a pipe to capture water and encourage it to flow in a direction away from a house.
Photograph by Matthew Williams.
Gravel Gardens
Planted in gravel, pink echinacea blooms in a bed bordering the gravel terrace.
“While many of us strive to perfect our lawns, for others turf can be a serious turn off,” writes our UK-based contributor Clare Coulson.
Photograph by Matthew Williams.
After pondering over her “neglected backyard” for three years, our contributor Izabella Simmons decided “our garden deserves more than a weed-filled lawn and a few patches of dirt.” The solution: a gravel garden.
Gravel Backyards
To see some of the “inspiration” photos she collected to show to her landscape architect, go to The New Gravel Backyard: 10 Inspiring Landscape Designs.
A 1,200-foot ribbon driveway paved with gravel curves gently as it approaches the entryway of a Bridgehampton estate on Long Island’s east end. For more, see Hardscaping 101: Ribbon Driveways.
Gravel Driveways
Photograph via Bespoke Real Estate.
In a Brooklyn backyard, garden designer Brook Klausing edged limestone pavers with crushed limestone dust mixed with gravel. Finally, learn how to successfully use gravel in a hardscape project with our Hardscaping 101: Gravel guide.
Classic Garden Layouts