Decorative Landscape Border Ideas
Assess your current borders:
Perhaps you’re looking to create a brand new border in your garden, if so you need to be extremely selective on where you position it. Ideally you want the border to be in a spot that will receive plenty of sunlight allowing your plants to grow and the sun will highlight the decorative gravel beautifully. You also need to consider if any trees or fencing will cast shadows on your borders, this could potentially affect the success of your plants. We would also suggest to do a PH test on your soil, this will give you an indication of whether you need to add additional nutrients to your soil to ensure it is healthy. You should also assess the soil to ensure it is free draining to prevent your plants from rotting. To assist with the drainage of your soil we would recommend mixing grit sand and horticultural grit.
Choosing your plants:
When designing your border you can be as creative as you like. When it comes to plants there are a number of different combinations which you could choose from. If you’re looking for more of a traditional border you should select shrubs, perennials, bulbs and a lot of evergreen. This is perfect if you’re looking to create a garden border that will blend into your current landscape. Another common border you can create is an herbaceous border these are generally made up of a variety of different bulbs and perennials, this allows you to become fairly creative as you are able to select from a wide range of bulbs. You could create a colourful striking border with a mixture of different bulbs or perhaps a more tranquil border with just a few different colours. If you’re looking to create more of a contemporary style then you could opt for bamboo and decorative shrubs which are available in a range of different designs combined with striking unusual plants. Spring is the perfect time to begin buying your plants as most flowers have started to grow, this will help you when it comes to selecting the perfect plants.
Choosing your decorative gravel:
There are a wide range of decorative stones, gravel and even boulders which are all perfect for use in your garden beds and borders. Decorative gravel and slate is perfect for adding a touch of style to any bed or border whether it be contemporary or a more traditional look you are trying to achieve. There is also a diverse range of colours to choose from therefore if you are looking to create that wow factor you can use a bold, striking colour slate. Below we have highlighted some different types of gravel that would be ideal for use in your borders.
Decorative Gravel: Decorative gravel is one of the most widely used materials for use in garden beds. With a wide range of colours available you have the choice to select a gravel that is striking or one that will blend into your current garden landscape. The beautiful texture of decorative gravel can really help bring life to a dull garden. If you’re looking to create a contemporary simplistic design we would recommend Cotswold Chippings these are elegant and ooze class. If you’re looking to create a more traditional border, flamenco gravel may be ideal as this will add a touch of colour to help bring life your border.
Slate: Crushed slate chippings offer a striking, bold effect that will highlight any garden border. As slate is available in a variety of beautiful colours this will inject light and colour into your overall garden landscape. Slate would be perfect for contemporary borders as it oozes style. For an herbaceous border we would recommend paddlestone slate, this slate has a smoother texture that would complement the shrubs and perennials found in these types of borders. The paddlestone slate offers a tranquil feel and is available in 2 beautiful colours that would blend into your current garden landscape.
Pebbles: Pebbles are the perfect addition to any garden border. Pebbles are probably the most versatile product and would look beautiful used in any garden border. The subtle variations of colour would complement your plants and other shrubs and not detract from the overall border. The slight variations of colours sparkle in the light and encompass a smooth round texture. We would recommend to use 8-14mm pebbles as these are the ideal size to complement your garden border. Our Scottish Pebbles are ideal and would look stunning featured in any garden border.
Chippings: Rubber chippings are more of a traditional material used in garden borders. Rubber chippings are also an extremely effective weed suppressant meaning not only would they add a decorative detail to your garden but they would also prevent weeds from forming in your border. We would recommend our garden rubber chippings if you were creating a cottage or traditional border, the chippings offer a stylish design that would complement your plants and shrubs whilst still looking beautiful. Our garden rubber chippings are available in 6 different colours allowing you to become creative and inject some colour into your garden.
We hope that you have been inspired by these ideas to update your own garden borders this season. With luck your plants will bloom within the Summer months and your garden will boast a beautiful border which you can enjoy right through the season.
We always enjoy receiving photographs from our customers, if you have created a beautiful garden border which you would like to show off please send your photos to sales@gravelmaster.co.uk.