Decorative rocks could completely transform the look and feel of your property, but putting them in place is a little more complicated than most people realize. If you simply dump the decorative rocks on the ground, you could end up dealing with a variety of unwanted issues down the road. Luckily, preparing the ground for landscaping rocks is a relatively easy process as long as you break it down into manageable steps.
Preparing the Worksite
Cleaning and decluttering the area is going to be the very first step in this process. Once you’ve marked out exactly where you’ll be working, you must then remove any plants, weeds, or grass you don’t plan on keeping. While you might not be able to remove every single root, pulling out as much of each plant as possible will greatly reduce your risk of unwanted weeds popping up in the coming years. For larger trees and plants, you might need to rent some equipment or hire a professional landscaping company. Whether you’re going to use assorted river rocks or snow white pebbles, your landscaping project will be much easier if you do this at the very beginning of the process.
Excavating
After the area is completely clear, it will then be time to start digging. There are many different types of decorative rocks, and most of them must be placed in the ground at least a few inches deep. If you must dig more than a few inches for your decorative rocks, you’ll most likely want to rent equipment from your local home improvement center. Before you dig, you should also contact your utility companies to ensure there are no buried cables in the ground. Accidentally hitting a utility cable could end up costing you tens of thousands of dollars in repairs and fines.
Laying Landscape Fabric
After you’ve excavated, you can then lay the landscape fabric that will be the base for your new river rock or Mexican beach pebbles. It might be tempting to simply put your new decorative rocks directly on the soil, but that will create some problems in the future. In addition to keeping the decorative rocks at the correct depth, landscape fabric is also going to prevent weeds from taking hold. The material allows water to penetrate the soil as well, which is going to be very important whenever it rains. Around the border of the worksite, you should dig a slightly deeper trench so you can tuck the fabric into the soil to prevent it from shifting.
Final Preparations
The next step in this process is going to depend on a few different factors, including which type of decorative rock you’re going to use. For larger rocks, you should lay a base of pea gravel, sand, or some other type of filler. If the decorative rocks are slightly smaller, that step probably won’t be necessary. You must also carefully measure the area so you know exactly how much material must be ordered. No one wants to be nearly finished with this type of outdoor project only to realize they haven’t ordered enough decorative rocks.
No matter what kind of landscaping project you’re planning, decorative rocks, stones, and pebbles can give it additional depth, character, and beauty. Whether you’re looking for the finest river rocks or gorgeous black polished pebbles, reach out to the experts at RS&P Rock Stones & Pebbles, a premier landscape rock and supply superstore. To learn how we can help you create the landscape of your dreams, call us today at (866) 380-0580.
