Gravel is an important and versatile material for individuals to use in their landscaping. Unfortunately, homeowners often lack a sufficient understanding of the various ways that they can utilize gravel for landscaping.

Path Management

Path management is important if you are to keep the plants that you use in your landscaping from being trampled by individuals walking over them. Gravel is one of the more affordable solutions for establishing paths throughout the property's landscaping. In addition to being extremely affordable, it can be much quicker to install gravel pathing rather than using stone tiles, brick or pavement. The gravel will need to be at least an inch thick for the best results. If the layer of gravel is too thin, it may wash away or allow weeds to grow through. Edging along the path can help to hold the gravel in place, which can reduce the tendency for intense rain to cause some of the gravel to wash away.

Erosion Control

Erosion can be a significantly landscaping problem that a homeowner may have to address. When large amounts of soil can wash away due to runoff, it can make it harder to grow plants as it will wash away the topsoil and potentially expose the roots of the plants that are growing. Gravel can be an excellent way of limiting the ability of bare soil to wash away during periods of heavy rain. When you are deciding where to place the erosion-control gravel, you should take the time to assess the way that the soil drains from the property. Otherwise, you may fail to protect some portions of the landscaping, which could allow an erosion problem to develop and spread.

Aesthetic Designs 

Gravel can be used for aesthetic purposes as well as practical ones. For example, gravel can be used to create definition in the landscaping design that will make it more visually appealing to look at. If you are using gravel for aesthetic designs, gravel can come in a variety of colors, which can make it possible to choose a color that will complement the rest of the property. Grey, red, brown, and black are among the most common colors for landscaping gravel. In addition to the color of the gravel, you should also consider the size of the stones that you will want. Larger pieces of gravel may offer a more textured look while smaller pieces will offer a smoother appearance.