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49 Landscaping Ideas with Stone

Add stylish and practical touches to your outdoor space with these great ideas for paths, patios, firepits, showers, and more.

Sunset

Landscaping with stone goes way beyond rock gardens. Here are a few dozen different ways to add geologic interest to your home’s landscape.

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Space to unwind

Using large pavers and a sleek stone fireplace turns a small lawn between house and garage into a “decompression chamber” perfect for relaxing after work.

2 /49 Norm Plate

Striking steps

Terraced stone steps in a mix-and-match pattern creates a strong focal point, while "character" plants create visual interest on both sides of the path. Rusty-hued Carex testacea softens the front path, while green kniphofia, plum Heuchera ‘Obsidian’, Libertia peregrinans ‘Bronze Sword’, and euphorbia surround the ‘Karl Foerster’ grass. Across the path, drifts of Picea sitchensis ‘Papoose’, variegated iris, and Phormium ‘Dusky Chief’ encircle a ginkgo tree.

3 /49 Photo by Norm Plate

Budget-friendly curb appeal

A variety of heat-tolerant plants with low water requirements provide year-round interest. Pavers take up most of the space where thirsty grass might grow instead, creating a striking pattern while also helping save resources and money in the long run.

4 /49 Photo by Thomas J. Story

Drought-tolerant yard

Replace a boring lawn with golden gravel dotted with an ornamental grass like deer grass (Muhlenbergia rigens), then add a few accent plants like blue-leaved Weber agave--all of which can withstand a low-water climate.

5 /49 Photo by Norm Plate

Gravel entry

Gravel’s earthy texture, its give underfoot, and its crunchy sound are the reasons why this oldest of hardscapes will always be perceived as the softest of paving materials. This gravel entry is a clean casual foil for plant textures and colors. Japanese silver grass billows over the basalt wall at right beside climbing hydrangea. ‘Maori Sunrise’ New Zealand flax in a container punctuates the small pond in the middle while ‘Palace Purple’ heuchera mugho pine and gunnera fill a bed near the house. Cotoneaster spills onto gravel.

6 /49 Photo by Linda Lamb Peters

Mediterranean gravel garden

A courtyard in the Mediterranean style is a natural spot for a gravel garden planted with lavender, New Zealand flax, and olive trees.

7 /49 Photo by Bill Ross

Transform a driveway

Transform an unused back half of a driveway into a curving path of concrete pavers, making room for a lush garden bed to the side.

8 /49 Photo by Thomas J. Story

Concrete pavers line a driveway

Durable concrete pavers set in a regular pattern are a good match for the architectural style of the house, and their subtly varied colors help mediate the starkness of a black-and-white color scheme.

9 /49 Photo by Jennifer Cheung

An artful walkway

In this modern backyard design, geometric steppingstones crossing a small pool give the illusion of walking on water. A piece of art tucked amid greenery at the end of the path treats visitors to a visual surprise.

10 /49 Photo by Steven A. Gunther

Welcoming gravel path

The desert rose color of the fine gravel makes this Southwest garden's path stand out from the coarser gray gravel mulch around it, inviting you to follow its lazy course. Small wooden bridges span the path. In summer, the dry creekbed is a river of gold, thanks to the generous daisylike blooms of Perky Sue (Hymenoxys scaposa).

11 /49 Photo by Jennifer Cheung

A stylish optical illusion

Individual concrete pads create the illusion that they're hovering lightly above the desert floor. Their exposed aggregate finish blends in with the native soil's stony texture.

12 /49 Photo by Chris Leschinsky

A walk through color

Orange gaillardia brightens the flagstone path and marshlike plantings in this Morro Bay, CA garden. Here, landscaping with stone and concrete is softened not just by these dreamy plants, but the hazelnut shells offer an organic counter to the hardscaping.
13 /49 Photo by Jennifer Cheung

Anchoring a living wall

The stone walkway and gravel path create a smooth counterpoint to the wild living wall featuring ferns, bromelaids, coral bells, spider plants, and elephant ears.

14 /49 Photo by Steven Gunther

Bold shapes

In this Malibu garden, grass circles appear to float on a river of black pebbles that winds through a grove of bamboo.

15 /49 Photo by Rob D. Brodman

Chic cut-stone walkway

Large cut-stone squares create a smooth and polished look.

16 /49 Photo by John Granen

Connecting raised beds

Generous gravel paths between raised vegetable beds give this Washington garden its casual farmer's market style. Wide enough to accommodate wheelbarrows, the gravel paths―laid atop landscape fabric―the paths stay mostly clean and weed-free.

17 /49 Holly Lepere

Courtyard retreat

A curved path, high walls, soft greens, and a bubbling fountain make this garden a soothing escape. The broad path connects the gate to the front door. The walkway is built of stamped concrete and has a dusting of multicolored sand for extra texture.

18 /49 Steven Gunther

Creating a journey

Designers know a great path includes an intriguing destination. Here, a yellow-glazed container catches the eye at the end of a lavender-edged gravel path.
19 /49 Photo by Thomas J. Story

Fieldstone path with flair

A fieldstone path made of small local stones winds through a shady moss garden decorated with ivy, ferns, and spring-­flowering bulbs. Fieldstones have a more rustic look than flagstones, with rougher surfaces and more variation in shape and color.

20 /49 Photo by Jennifer Cheung

Making a park out of a path

This entry path feel more like a nature trail than a garden walk. Thyme grows between steps; boulders, cactus, and rosemary fringe the path's edges. Even before guests get to the house, wide steps (made of concrete aggregate) encourage them to slow down and enjoy the garden. If your yard doesn't have enough sun for thyme, tuck Corsican mint or Japanese sweet flag between your steps or pavers; both have scented foliage. Stagger your pavers to slow the journey.

21 /49 Thomas J. Story

Creating textures

Fractured shale fills gaps between concrete pavers in this yard; yarrow and grasses soften the path's edges.

22 /49 Photo by Steven A. Gunther

Meditation walk

A meandering path encircles a central planting island. Crunchy pea gravel gives the path texture, and Boral bricks in Savannah Brown are designed to slow the journey.

23 /49 Photo by Rob D. Brodman

Set pebble path

Pebbles are too smooth and round to make a suitable paving if left free to roll around. But when set in concrete with their flattest side up, they create a perfectly ­navigable path with an interesting texture. Even on paved walkways, landscaping with stone can creates soft, organic edges with tons of visual appeal.
24 /49 Photo by Jim McCausland

Mimicry with concrete

Flanked by blue star creeper and Japanese spurge, a concrete "stone" path curves through this lush garden in Gig Harbor, WA.

25 /49 Photo by Norm Plate

Pathway focal point

A stone fountain adds interest to a gravel path that winds through planting beds. To counter the gray tones, add pops of color: lady's-mantle with chartreuse blooms surrounds the fountain, while cape fuchsia (Phygelius) with orange-pink flowers spills into the path.

26 /49 Photo by Norman A. Plate

Simple flagstone path

This finished path features flagstones set in Salmon Bay gravel. As edging plants (blue fescue and petunias) grow, they'll create a graceful, soft edge.

27 /49 Steven Gunther

Wooded escape

A flagstone path in Pasadena leads through a garden underplanted with New Zealand flax shrubs and grasses. Blue-leafed groundcovers create a delicate tracery between pavers.

28 /49 Photo by Rob D. Brodman

Lovely terraced staircase

Hefty granite boulders help anchor the hillside, and lined up along the terraced staircase, they form the perfect spot for displaying plants. The weeping orange sedge repeated on the right helps to soften the scene.

29 /49 Photo by William Wright

Savvy paving

Both the multicolored flagstones set in sand and the ¾-inch granite gravel allow rainfall to pass through to plant roots. River rock edges the planting beds.

30 /49 Photo by Norm Plate

Solving drainage problems in style

Landscaping with stone can still be a mixed media project. Combine gravel with rocks of varying sizes to add interest in large areas. This technique also solved a drainage problem. The gravel path, edged on the right with 'Libelle' hydrangea and a bank of maidenhair ferns, straddles a cluster of large, flat stones that creates a bridge over a seasonal runoff channel. Water runs through a pipe hidden beneath the channel's river rocks to a catchment pond at the far end.
31 /49 Photo by Charles Mann

Barefoot patio

Planting a conventional turfgrass lawn is not a water-wise solution in the arid West. Nor is paving a big area always practical, since that much hardscape creates a lot of heat and glare, says Nate Downey of Santa Fe Permaculture. But if you lace paving stones with ribbons of native buffalo grass (Buchloe dactyloides), you'll achieve an eye-calming "soft patio" effect, as Downey calls it, that needs much less water than a traditional bluegrass or fescue lawn.

32 /49 Photo by Thomas J. Story

Attracting butterflies

Flagstone skirting a simple columnar fountain gives the impression of a path winding through a canyon. Yellow- and blue-flowering plants, such as agastache, butterfly bush, and Spanish broom, provide plenty of color near the entry and along the driveway and attract desired winged guests. The fountain in the center provides butterflies with a necessary supply of water.

33 /49 Photo by Rob D. Brodman

Charming cobblestone look

Rectangular chunks of tumbled Connecticut bluestone, set on a bed of decomposed granite and sand, form a 12-foot-diameter dining patio in a wooded Berkeley backyard.

34 /49 Photo by Steve Gunther

Connecting with your surroundings

A circular patio of tinted concrete aggregate is edged with rose flagstone. The naturalistic spa backing, tough plantings, and the paving’s rosy tones visually connect the patio to the surrounding desert.

35 /49 Photo by Thomas J. Story

Easy patio entry

Decorative and functional, a dry-laid flagstone and mulch path leads the way to a patio retreat. A border of ferns and red-flowered Cuphea ignea creates a leafy entry. In the back planter, a tall mallow hedge screens a vegetable garden.

36 /49 Photo by Steven Gunther

Old-World kitchen garden

Dining and gardening combine in this elegant potager where herbs and vegetables grow near the table. Herbs and edible plants grown in pot are cordoned off from the gravel path with a charming circular stone border.

37 /49 Photo by Norm Plate

Shady gravel patio

An elegant semicircular wall separates the gravel patio beneath a shady sycamore from the wilder garden beyond.

38 /49 Photo by Saxon Holt

Squares and rounds

Colored stones, surrounded by pavers of stained concrete, create the illusion of a stream bubbling through the center of this 12-foot patio in Berkeley, CA.

39 /49 Photo by Thomas J. Story

Using recycled materials

Large and small aluminum letters, set between irregular chunks of black slate, gives this 8-foot-wide patio in Alameda, CA, contemporary flavor.

40 /49 Photo by Steven A. Gunther

Flagstone furnishings

This custom-built dining table is right at home in this Southwestern courtyard. The table is made from the same flagstone as the slender serving counter tucked against the wall, creating a soft and seamless aesthetic for an outdoor entertaining space.

41 /49 Photo by Thomas J. Story

Stylish concrete firepit

Even the simplest open fire is likely to draw people outdoors. This gas-fed fire pit was fashioned from a concrete planter and lightweight stones that ­conceal the hardware and break up the flames for a natural look.

42 /49 Photo by Thomas J. Story

An entertaining-friendly outdoor fireplace

This friendly-looking fireplace sits on a gravel patio, accompanied by a traditional arrangement of furniture. The structure was built from concrete blocks and covered with manmade, though convincing, river-rock veneer.

43 /49 Photo by Thomas J. Story

Seamless patio and pool

Creamy Connecticut bluestone picks up on the hues of the blue-tiled pool and spa for a seamlessly blended patio and pool.

44 /49 Photo by Thomas J. Story

Gravel borders a modern fountain

Versatile gravel works beautifully surrounding a modern fountain and echoing the colors of the cityscape beyond. High edging keeps gravel in bounds while giving the impression of a pond within a pond.

45 /49 Photo by Thomas J. Story

Flagstone waterfall

With two waterfalls—one tumbling down a rocky bank and the other streaming from an urn—this pond fills the backyard with the sound of water. Broad flagstones near the water’s edge invite closer inspection. If young children will be visiting your garden, be sure to restrict access to any pond or pool area with fencing and a locking gate.

46 /49 Steven Gunther

A go-native stream

Plant natives, and birds will follow. Install a meandering stream bordered by boulders to create a framework for integrating native plants. In this home's case, fragrant 'Bee's Bliss' salvia, wild lilacs, and an existing non-native purple tree mallow were chosen to create a soft aesthetic and for their low-water requirements.

47 /49 Photo by Art Gray

Pebble shower wall

Interlocking 4- by 12-inch tiles faced with pebbles create an eye-catching texture for the back-splash of this outdoor shower in Los Angeles.

48 /49 Photo by John Durant

Sleek outdoor shower

This outdoor shower is tucked into an alcove next to the rear stairs; the slate backsplash and side wall of rounded faux river stone add up to a natural-looking backdrop.

49 /49 Photo by Rob D. Brodman

Boulders for accents

Even a few small boulders placed next to a path can make a striking design statement. These three—chosen to match the fountain basin nearby—were stood on end like three sentinels in a bed of baby’s tears and white impatiens. This stonescape gains a Japanese feel with the addition of a simple tsukubai fountain.