What are rockery rocks and what are they used for?

Landscaping around your home is a traditional rite of passage and very fulfilling, with immediate gratification for all your hard work. Among the many versatile and attractive landscaping options available to complement your home’s outdoor look, rock gardens are a popular choice.

At their most basic elements, rock gardens are eco-friendly, incredibly durable and long lasting, readily available, and can add a majestic look to any landscaping project from decorative flower garden borders to enormous retaining walls. One of the most attractive bonuses is material for rock landscaping comes in dozens of different shapes, sizes, colors, textures, and types. One go-to type of material is rockery rocks. Never heard of them? Let’s take a closer look.

Rockery rocks defined

The term “rockery” refers to an arrangement of rocks and plants. Rockeries are often focal points of a landscape, created to blend with natural slopes or contours of a yard. Rockery rocks, then, are the hardscape materials used, specifically boulders that range in size from 8-12 inches and up to 50 pounds, to the huge ones weighing in at more than 1,000 pounds and substantial diameters.

Rockery rocks are most often used in alpine gardens to offset smaller stones, provide a background for taller plants, and offer a bold look. They are also commonly used to great benefit and aesthetic effect for retaining walls, stone walkways, property borders, and outdoor benches or other seating areas. The best part about rockery rocks is there is really no limit to what you can do with them; their visual appeal, texture, and all-around usefulness goes a long way in creating a look and function to perfectly suit your individual tastes.

What’s great about rockery rocks?

In recent years, upwards of 40 percent of homeowners utilized rocks or gravel products in their outdoor landscaping schemes, in a departure from traditional greenhouse materials and the “same old look” seen in suburban neighborhoods across the country. Designing with a rockery mindset is a great way to boost curb appeal and reduce yard maintenance and watering at the same time. Rockery material gets bonus points for being an environmentally-friendly choice, especially when responsibly quarried and transported.

And the best part is making rock gardens is just plain fun. You can channel your inner creative and transform a blank canvas to beautiful and engaging outdoor art. For more information on rockery rocks and their uses, contact Tigard Sand and Gravel at (503) 692-1800 or tigardsandandgravel.com.