Enrich your garden by dipping into the rocky world of stones with these gorgeous decor ideas

Ever thought of using stones and rocks as beautifying accessories and layout materials for your garden and outdoors? The plum and grey shades of slate, the greens of roughly textured Anatolia boulders, the earthy browns and rosy pinks of quartz crystals, and the golden hue of sandstone rocks make for a palette far more interesting than what you can get from a rainbow. Stones and rocks being natural elements, their different textures and colours can be used as outdoor decor accessories without much worry. Read on to learn about some interesting ways to make your garden rock.

Stone-bordered flower beds

Stones can be inexpensive and they offer immense possibilities to get creative in the garden. Edging a patch of garden soil with small rocks is a simple job and what you get in return is an attractive, easy-to-maintain plantation area that can serve as a bed to grow flowers or kitchen herbs.

Imagine the entrance of your abode highlighted with a blooming flower bed. Now add some large textured rocks, as seen in the picture. The merely pretty becomes simply spectacular. The beige and grey of the rocks makes them stand out amidst the greenery, bringing a natural contrast. Their height and substance provides a fitting backdrop to the delicate tracery of leaves and flowers. Install recessed lights at the base of these rocks for a soft glowy evening look.

Garden furniture

You will never have to worry about furniture getting drenched in the rain or being worn out by the sun and storms when you have such a sturdy sofa set, made entirely of stones. The solid earthiness of the grey stone furniture and the colourful weatherproof upholstery, together with the green backdrop, is picture-perfect.

You can also go for creating a cosy sitting spot by simply creating a niche in a drystone wall. The visual interest is provided by the interlocking stones, capitalising on their irregular shapes and textures.

Garden steps

Stack up a few wide sandstone blocks in the form of steps leading to a sitout in your outdoor area. With pebbles and other rocks in place alongside, these steps create more room to explore gardening possibilities as they bring different levels to grow your flora on. A win-win for nature enthusiasts all the way.

Recreate the magic of picturesque flower gardens on a hillside by creating terraced beds within staggered multi-level stone walls, between which steps wind upwards.

Fountain and pond

What could be more soothing than the sound of water flowing over stones before finding its way into a pond at the bottom? Add such a water feature to your garden for a more realistic landscape by putting together rocks and stones at different levels, finishing with a low-height boundary at the bottom to define a collecting pool. With floating lotus leaves in the pool and lush greenery alongside the steps, such a fountain is a delight for the senses.

Stone arch

Blocks of rough stone can be made to hold together to give shape to a gorgeous archway leading into a field of flowers. What a wonderful way to bring both style and character to your garden. Add a cobbled pathway through the greenery to accentuate the countryside effect.

Patio or sit-out

Have neat flagstones set in grass form a pathway leading into a quaint clearing that has been made into a cosy patio with crazy paving and bench seats, all made of stones. With lush green grass growing around the paving and tiny plants sprouting out of the cracks in between, this patio will offer itself as a treat for the eyes and the soul. You can use symmetrically cut slabs of slate, granite or any easily available stone for the flagged path, and piece together varied oddly shaped slabs on the ground for a similar patio. You can buy these cheap, as remnants, from your local stone dealer.

Standalone showpiece

A very innovative scarecrow can be made by stacking different sized and shaped stones and rocks atop each other. Though set in the corner of a pebbled pathway, the attention it commands is huge, not to forget how the garden exudes life with this seemingly inanimate piece of art.

Garden pathway

Stepping stones may either be set in mortar or directly in the earth. These give shape to a sidewalk that will not only divert the traffic away from the surrounding beds foliage and flowers but also make the garden look spacious. Granite, sandstone and different shades of slate alike can be used to pave the path, depending on the kind of contrast you would like to have.

As if beckoning you to a hidden spot, a pebbled pathway, lined with grey rocks on both sides, comes as a refreshing change from the concrete paving so often found. It is perfect for the half-wild woodland effect created by the garden. With an easy execution and a naturally created peaceful environment to boast of, having this pathway is just like bringing a resort to your garden.

Stone mosaic entrance

Make way for an offbeat entrance by setting uneven and textured slabs of stone amidst a display of greenery at selected spots.

Rock garden

Rocks and boulders can be scattered and set in different places along with a variety of shrubs and grasses, making for a lovely rock garden. Welsh quartz boulders in different colours, large, textured rocks and a range of pebbles can make any rock garden look like an oasis in the desert, giving ample scope to experiment with succulents and cacti.