You can enhance your existing garden with a simple change in color and texture from aggregates. From gravel to pebbles and egg rocks, there is a wide range of colors, sizes and types of stone aggregates available. Their variety provides a number of ways to use them in your landscape. Here are some ideas:

In Place of Mulch

When used in and around garden beds and shrubs, aggregates can aid in moisture retention and provide protection from the hot summer temperatures. Its low maintenance means that it won’t need to be topped off each season like mulch. Our gold or grey pea gravel is visually appealing when used in place of mulch and will add a new dimension to your landscape.

As a Groundcover

It can be used in large areas of your garden such as for covering slopes and placed along the edges of pathways where you might often think of adding groundcover plants. It’s flexible for filling in any size or shaped area and can reduce invasive problems of many groundcovers. We suggest pea gravel, pebbles or egg rock for a decorative layer in your landscape.

For the Surface

Lay it down as the surface for sidewalks, driveways, and other landscape projects. It will help provide natural drainage. It has the durability as a rock material while giving a softer look compared to concrete and pavement. And it’s the perfect transition material when moving away from a home into a larger garden or other area. Crushed slate, granite gravel #57 and pea gravel are great options for surfaces.

As a Replacement for Grass

It does well for areas of the yard where plants don’t grow well or when you want to reduce maintenance with less irrigation. And if you have bare areas where grass is hard to grow, consider covering the area with a decorative display of boulders and smaller aggregates. Since you are dealing with rock, the color won’t change over time. And it’s a cost effective way to cover an area.

In Place of Grout

When laying down pavers, choose smoother aggregates that don’t have sharp edges to fill in the space. Stones are very durable and offer a unique textural contrast with the pavers. Because aggregates come in different sizes and colors, you have options for how much spacing you want to fill between pavers. Our crimson pathway and mixes Mexican beach pebbles are beautiful choices to use between pavers.

As a Rock Border

Aggregates lined along path and garden beds give a finished look to a landscape. They can add a natural look to your garden while keeping plants contained in beds. Planting groundcover behind the aggregate border creates another effect when the groundcover starts to spread over the rocks for a casual look. Also popular is lining rows of different sizes and types of aggregates, such as beach pebbles, for a creative look.

When you use aggregates in your landscape, you are adding functionality along with the natural beauty of stone. Depending on your purpose, be mindful that some aggregates do not compact like others do. Fieldstone Center, Inc. has a wide selection of aggregates and can assist you in selecting the best ones for your landscaping project. Contact us at (770) 385-7708 for more information.

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It can be a challenge for groundcover plants to grow between pavers or flagstones, but certain plants are perfect for this purpose. Plants that work best spread quickly, stay close to the ground and are resilient. They reduce weeds growing through openings. They are tough and can handle being stepped on.

When choosing a plant, look for short plants that won’t obstruct the path or walkway and that can grow under your soil and light conditions. Here are 10 groundcover plants that make good fillers between paving stones:

Blue star creeper – This ground cover bears starry, pale-blue flowers atop a bed of very flat, light-green leaves. Although the flowers look delicate, the blue star creeper is a tough plant that handles foot traffic well. It blooms for most of the year and it can grow in full sun to partial shade conditions.

Creeping thyme – Perfect for sunny paths and tough under foot, thyme has many varieties to choose from, grows in difficult soils from sandy to heavy clay, and tolerates inconsistent watering. The herb bears tiny, rounded fragrant leaves in shades of dark green, lime green, and even gold with a white edging. Most varieties form low-growing mats that blend nicely when planted between stone pavers. A good variety for paths, Elfin thyme, is a miniature version of creeping thyme that grows 1 to 2 inches tall. Creeping “Sunshine” speedwell is also a good choice that blooms with tiny purple flowers.

Dianthus – Extremely hardy, this low-growing, clumping plant makes a good ground cover between pavers for both sunny and partially sunny locations. Depending on the variety, plants are smothered with pink, red, white, or lavender flowers. The flowers grow 3 to 6 inches in height.

Dichondra – Also called Carolina Ponysfoot, this plant grows well in the south in areas of sun to partial shade and is heat resistant. Its lime-green, round leaves spread to fill in spaces.

Dymondia – Extremely flat with slender, oval leaves that are two-tone (green on top and gray underneath), Dymondia has a tidy appearance, uniform height and low watering needs. It occasionally bears tiny, flat yellow daisy flowers. Large areas require a regular watering, fertilizer and care, so this plant is best planted in smaller paved sections of your walkway or patio.

Green carpet – Popular in landscaping design, this ground cover forms a mass of dense, green leaves. It is low-growing and only reaches a height of 3 inches. It is extremely drought tolerant and does great in heavy foot traffic areas.

Irish moss – With a soft, spongy texture, Irish moss grows best in moist, shady areas and keeps its short, compact appearance even when regularly stepped on. It forms a dense carpet of miniature, velvety leaves. You’d be surprised how little soil is required for the moss to grow. Varieties such as woodsy Plagiomnium or star moss are both hardy in our zone.

Mondo grass – When you want to keep a green carpet year-round to fill in paving spaces, the dwarf mondo grass variety is a good choice. It grows in full to partial shade. This might be a simple solution in your landscape so you can stay on the same schedule as your grass lawn for watering and trimming.

Small Lobelia – The blue species are the most popular because the flowers are showy and captivating. The small ground cover varieties usually grow about 1 inch in height with white or blue flowers. Be careful not to choose larger lobelia varieties that can grow as high as 3 feet. These plants are good for shady areas and do not do well in hot, dry areas.

Stonecrop/Sedum – Many of the flattest stonecrops form mats along the ground with succulent stems. They easily fill in the gaps around paving stones. There are several smaller varieties that grow a few inches in height. Goldmoss Sedum is a dainty succulent perennial that bears lime-green leaves and yellow, springtime flowers. Dragon’s Blood Sedum has small, succulent leaves that are a dark, purple-red.

Wire vine – A fast-spreading perennial groundcover, wire vine forms a thick mat of tiny, round, glossy leaves. It grows in full sun to partial shade and is drought tolerant.

Groundcover plants are much prettier to fill the spaces between pavers and flagstones compared to weeds. The type of plant you choose has a lot to do with your personal taste and whether you want greenery, flowers, compact, or creeping. Plants can also be grown in the cracks of a stone retaining wall.

Although we don’t sell the plants, Fieldstone Center has a wide selection of pavers and flagstones. When you are ready to install your landscape design, contact us at 770.385.7708.

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