Are you making the most of your outdoor space? You might be someone who spends a lot of time in their garden, meticulously weeding out any unwanted plants and carefully trimming back the foliage of some of your most unruly greenery.
Gardening is not for everyone, of course, and those who would not class themselves as horticultural enthusiasts may let theirs fall into a state of disrepair. That can make a property look untidy, so perhaps it’s time to spruce up your space.
Data shows that DIY spending increased over lockdown as people across the country made good use of their spare time. As restrictions begin to ease, you might find your calendar is filling back up again, in which case you need an easy, low-maintenance option for your little patch of land. A gravel garden can provide the perfect answer – and there are plenty of benefits.
Easy to install
The beauty of a gravel garden is that it couldn’t be simpler to install. Once you’ve stripped your base back to the soil, it’s best to lay down some fabric in order to prevent weeds from sprouting up and ruining the effect. Once that’s done you can lay your gravel and the good news is that you can buy bags of decorative aggregates in all colours, shapes and sizes so you can be sure of creating the look that you want.
Variety
As mentioned before, Gravel doesn’t have to be grey and bland – there are various options to ensure that your new addition will be appealing and a beautiful part of your garden design.
Gravel can be arranged in different patterns and there are lots of styles available, so you have some really interesting options to mix up the colours and textures in your garden.
Cost-effective
How much you spend on your gravel will depend on the type you select and the size of the area you are planning to cover. Although that might represent a significant initial outlay, it’s likely to cost a lot less than laying turf and/or decking to transform a large space. And of course, you won’t have to shell out further for any equipment or treatment products, which brings us nicely onto…
Low maintenance
It might be that you don’t have the time or the inclination to spend countless hours tending to your plot. That’s the beauty of a gravel garden – once it’s in place, it more or less looks after itself. You don’t need to do any mowing, fertilising or pruning, and thanks to your landscaping fabric, very little weeding. It’s a great way to tidy up the land around your house without having to give it constant care and attention.
Plants can still thrive
You might be forgiven for thinking there’s no place for greenery among all the decorative aggregate, but there are plenty of plants that are perfect for gravel gardens. The likes of lavender, yucca and euphorbias are all suited to that type of environment. They benefit from the free movement of water, which steers it away from the roots and stems of plants. Those Mediterranean-style plants can also tolerate drought and provide plenty of nectar and pollen to attract insects to your little patch of paradise.
