What Are The Different Types Of Landscape Rocks?

Rocks that are used in the landscaping of a particular area usually are made up of synthetic materials. However, they can also be natural rocks, and are generally used in the planning and landscaping of gardens, open recreational areas like playgrounds and parks. These give a very natural beautiful feel to the whole concept of the outdoors, and are mostly used with other decorative structures like fountains and tree stumps.

What Are The Different Types Of Landscape Rocks?

1. White Rocks For Your Garden

Landscape rocks can be made up of natural rock or synthetic material. They can also be in the form of real river pebbles and coral stone. The latter looks different from other types of rocks. It comes in interesting natural colors, is porous and exudes a different, tropical charm to the landscape.

Real natural landscaping rocks have the advantage of being the real thing, and therefore are less prone to cracks and fractures. These are also safer than plastic rocks, as they are almost skid proof when wet.

2. Natural Landscape Rocks

These include the aforementioned coral, river bank pebbles, and limestone, marble and landscaping stones. These come in natural shapes and sizes, from boulders to pebbles and everything in between, depending upon how Mother Nature shaped them. The colors are all natural, ranging from deep grays and blacks of adventitious rocks to the pastels of corals to the pure white beauty of natural marble.

These may not be perfectly shaped, but they are natural and give a very authentic feel to your outdoor structures. They do not degenerate with time and are impervious to moisture.

3. Concrete Landscape Rocks

These are landscape rocks artificially shaped and created using concrete. They look almost as authentic as natural rocks, but they are not as durable. Also, the very nature of the concrete material makes it prone to cracking with due time. The heat of the sun combined with the sudden quenching offered by natural rain will eventually lead to the degeneration of this type of landscaping rock.

However, the major advantage of concrete landscaping rocks is the fact that they can be shaped according to one’s requirements, making them an ideal purchase when a lot of similarly shaped and sized pieces are required for a certain design while landscaping. These are also cheaper than natural rock, at least in most cases.

4. Plastic Landscaping Rocks

These landscaping ‘rocks’ are made out of polymerized material like polyurea plastics and generally have a polyurethane foam backing. They come with all the advantages of custom shaped and designed, and are also easier to manipulate. These can either be made to order or bought ready made. They give an authentic feel for quite some time, but do not quite match the aesthetics of natural landscaping rocks.

Another problem with these ‘rocks’ is the fact that they tend to degenerate with the passage of time and with continued exposure to the elements of nature. The color tends to change in hue or fades away, leaving behind a very unnatural looking piece of landscaping material. Also, these are not as durable as natural rocks, and tend to get slippery when wet.

Which Landscape Rock Style Should I Choose?

Normally your landscaping artist or architect will help you out with the purchase and selection of landscaping rocks. However, you can also hunt for natural rocks on your next trek or visit to the river bank.