Choose Your Landscaping Stones First
It’s much easier to change your flowers if you’re not happy with the results than it is to do the same thing with landscaping stones. For this reason, we recommend having the selection and setup of your preferred decorative stones taken care of first. Once that’s done, it’s time to pick your flowers.
Choose the Right Flowers
Areas with landscaping stones may have some limitations with natural light during certain times of the day as well as access for upkeep. Snow white pebbles and pure gold river rocks are particularly well suited for reflecting light toward flowers. Start by choosing flowers likely to thrive with the level of sunlight and care you can conveniently provide given the spots you have to work with. With flower selection among landscaping stones, pay particular attention to:
• Available sunlight in the area(s) with landscaping stones
• Required upkeep and care
• Duration of the blooms
Explore Color Combination Possibilities
Be mindful of the colors you have to work with for your decorative stones and flowers to optimize curb appeal during the growing season. If you have black polished pebbles, you might prefer brighter-hued flowers that provide an attractive contrast. With landscaping stones that are more colorful, you may prefer flowers with softer hues that don’t distract from the decorative stones too much or ones that naturally blend in.
Weigh Your Options with Perennials & Annuals
Perennials come back each season, and annuals only stick around for a single growing season. If you prefer to keep the same general color combination and scheme, perennials are worth considering, since the flowers will keep coming back. But if you prefer to switch things up each growing season, annuals are a better option. You’re also welcome to mix and match if you want to retain some flowers and change other ones seasonally.
Do Some Staging First
Staging refers to the placement of plants before actually planting them in the ground. This is a step that can be helpful by giving you the ability to try out different arrangements with your flowers before doing the actual planting and committing to an arrangement. Simply leave your flowers in the pots and move them around until you settle on an arrangement you like.
Properly Prepare the Area & Get Everything in Place
If you haven’t done so already, make sure there’s appropriate landscaping fabric below your decorative stones that allows for sufficient water drainage. This prevents water pooling and allows your flowers to absorb water in their roots. After you’ve taken care of the landscaping fabric, prepare the area where your flowers will be placed by:
• Digging holes of the appropriate depth and width for your flowers
• Allowing sufficient space around your flowers to account for natural growth and spreading
• Keeping decorative stones away from the immediate area around the base of the flowers to allow air and water to pass through
No matter what type of flowers you use in your landscape, you can complement their beauty with a variety of decorative stones. For advice on designing your landscape with decorative rocks and Mexican beach pebbles, reach out to the experts at RS&P Rocks Stones & Pebbles, a premier landscape rock and supply superstore. We specialize in drought-tolerant landscaping materials, including a variety of colored pebbles and river rock. To learn how we can help you enhance the look of your landscape, call us today at (866) 380-0770.
