Selecting Landscaping Stone - stone walkway
Boulder Landscape and Design

Boulder Landscape and Design

Selecting Landscaping Stone

Selecting Landscaping Stone - stone walkwayMost Front Range landscapes make good use of our natural resource of stone. From walkways to retaining walls, patios to sweeping stairways, stone is not only readily available here, but makes an attractive way to cut down on water-thirsty plants and lawns.

The question then becomes, What kind of stone do I want to use?

Lucky for us, Colorado and neighboring states have plenty of quarries with striking pallet of stones. Checking at a local stone yard we found over a dozen varieties of natural patio rock to choose from. Ranging from the familiar red flagstone to buff, blues, glittering silvers and several tones of rainbow, yellow and grays, the stone also came in a variety of cuts and textures, bringing stone shopping on a par with choosing carpet!

The variety does not stop there, however! Add to the mix the stunning choices and ease of installation of amalgamated stone steppers, pavers and wall blocks and your head truly begins to spin. These are preformed blocks that are made up of bits of crushed rock and dyed any color you wish, then texturized into forms that make building a patio, pathway or retaining wall a lot like playing with really big Legos. Although they are more expensive and limited in design than most natural stone, they are also more cooperative and the interlinking shapes almost assure your creation is going to stay where you placed it, even through winter freezes and spring thaws.

The most amazing thing I found, however, were manufactured stone wall veneers that could be placed over old walls or concrete block. Molded after real rock walls, at a distance of more than a yard or two you could not tell that this was not an expensively mortared masonry wall. They come in all colors and patterns, from rustic to Queen’s formal, and make sprucing up an old wall – or making a charming cottage out of the garage – a breeze.

Selecting Landscaping Stone - stone patioAt Boulder Landscape and Design we have talented, artistic stoneworkers whose eye for light, color and texture create many of the stone masterpieces you see throughout Boulder. We prefer working with natural stone because it can be shaped and set to create both formal and naturalized settings. Because it is not preformed, our cutters can create magical spaces to surprise garden visitors with pockets of unsuspected flowers, unusual walkway twists, and welcoming cool stone benches along a wall.

Whatever stone you choose, shop around first. Most companies have websites that show the types of stone they carry and can be a fun way to get ideas, but be sure you see the stone you are considering in person before ordering as lighting and quarry location can drastically affect the look of your stone.

Boulder Landscape and Design designs and installs customized stonework. We’d be pleased to speak with you about your patio, path or wall plans.