10 Amazing Landscaping Rocks for Your Lawn

Spotlight: 10 Amazing Landscaping Rocks for Your Lawn!

Rocks here, rocks there, rocks everywhere!

Rocks have become increasingly used in low-maintenance and drought-resistant landscaping projects. This type of landscaping, also called hardscaping, is used by those looking to use less water in their lawn care schedule. For good reason, too. There are several types of stones that are perfect for people wanting to get creative with their outside space. From beautiful smooth pebbles, to rough, natural looking rocks, to even faux stone—one of the many stones on this list is sure to catch your eye!

These are the 10 types of landscaping rocks that would be perfect for your yard.

Lava Rock

Lava rock is commonly used for landscaping and can be found in most major home improvement stores. This type of rock is an igneous rock and is mined from hardened lava after volcanic explosions. Lava rock is porous–meaning it has many small holes that formed when the lava hardened. Lava rocks are lightweight, but they do have a tendency to travel. Consider placing these rocks somewhere in your yard where minimal maintenance is required.

Lava rock is often sold in red and black colors and is usually left in its natural, jagged shape, but it can be sculpted into smooth, round, pebble-like shapes for its aesthetic appeal. It pairs beautifully alongside desert-native plants because of its natural look!

Mexican Beach Pebbles

You may have seen smooth, round pebbles that sit near beaches and get washed over by the tide. They are called beach pebbles, and they are a popular landscaping rock in both home and commercial landscaping. Mexican Beach Pebbles are the most commonly collected type of beach pebbles; like the namesake, this type of pebble originates from the stone beaches of Baja, Mexico.

The pebbles are harvested by hand and come in a variety of colors, but most are gray, reddish, or tan-toned with a smooth surface. Mexican Beach Pebbles also look great with desert-native plants because of their versatility. They add a touch of sophistication to any lawn or landscaping project. These rocks are very expensive though, so consider placing them in small accent sections in your yard.

Pea Gravel

Pea gravel is one of the smallest landscaping rocks on this list! It is popular because of how affordable and easy it is to install. Most pea gravel comes in gray, but can also appear in red, black, or multicolor types. Pea gravel is made by cutting down and smoothing river rock into tiny pieces.  Depending on the size of your hardscaping project, pea gravel can be installed in a day or less. Just remove the weeds around the area you want to place the gravel, lay down about 2 inches of crushed base rock (which is also sold at home improvement stores) and lay your pea gravel.

Pea gravel is also more high maintenance than other types of landscaping rocks because of its tendency to travel. We suggest placing some type of edging material to keep it contained. Edging material is a boundary between your lawn and anything you want to keep contained–rocks, plants, trees, etc. Edging materials can range from bricks, wood, concrete, plastic, rubber, even other rocks. As long as it separates areas of your yard, it’s considered an edging material.

With this in mind, pea gravel can be used for a variety of projects alongside your artificial turf. Walkways, patios, playgrounds, even small applications like plant potters are great places to put pea gravel.

River rock

River rock is one of the most prevalent landscaping rocks used in projects. River rocks are made from chunks of rock that are broken down from a water current and fall into a flowing body of water, usually a river. The chunks of rocks sink to the bottom and are eroded by sediment that flows through the river current. River rock is a more affordable alternative for buyers interested in something visually similar to Mexican Beach Pebbles. 

River rocks come from a medley of different “parent” rocks so they are all unique. They are admired for their attractive color and occasional speckled or banded appearance. River rock is a great choice for your next landscaping project.

Decomposed granite

This is a crushed rock made from the natural weathering of the stone. Granite is often used in landscaping projects because of its sturdiness and versatility in color and decomposed granite is no different. It comes in a variety of colors and can be packed down in several layers to create a beautiful, natural-looking space.

Depending on the size of rock you are looking for, decomposed granite can be purchased in a variety of sizes. Quarter-inch, 3/8ths, or finely crushed decomposed granite are some popular choices for landscaping projects. Finely crushed decomposed granite can be bought with an added stabilizer. It is one of the more popular choices because of the sturdiness underfoot. Walking and general movement pound the granite down and keep it stable, making it a good choice for walkways or patios.

Synthetic rock

Synthetic rock, also called faux stone or fake rocks, is the only fully man-made landscaping rock on this list. Synthetic rock is exactly how it sounds–crafted by human hand to look like a natural rock. Some say synthetic rock appears more natural than actual rocks! Synthetic rocks can be made out of a variety of materials, some even recyclable. These stones are often used to cover up unsightly parts of a yard like tree stumps or electrical boxes. 

Synthetic stones can be made to look like any landscaping rock of your choosing. Molds are created from the real thing and then the perimeter is filled with concrete–the stones are kept hollow on the inside for ease of placing things under them. They are a great, low-cost choice for those wanting to cover something unpresentable in their yard.

Brick chunks

Brick chunks, brick nuggets, brick chips—they’re all the same thing! Brick chunks are just any old brick broken up into pieces of several sizes. Their red color gives any yard they are added to a rustic look. Brick chunks are often no bigger than the size of river rocks and can be bought at most home improvement stores. 

Brick chunks are excellent for usage in drought-tolerant yards that get little rainfall. Since bricks are made out of clay, frequent rain can turn the chunks from red to stark white, completely changing your yard’s aesthetic, so it’s best to place brick chunks down if you live in a dry area.

Flagstone rock

Flagstone rocks are large, flat rocks that are often used in landscaping projects for walkways and patios. Flagstone rocks can come in all different types of rocks; for example, sandstone, shale, granite, and marble can all be made into flagstone rock. The most common type to use is sandstone. Giant pieces of flagstone are chiseled down to medium-to-large-sized flat pieces of rock by a stonemason and then can be left natural or shaped into squares, rectangles, triangles–just about any shape you can think of.

Safety is a must for yards with a lot of foot traffic. Flagstone’s natural non-slip texture is great for kids and pets playing on your lawn. Artificial grass and flagstone are a perfect match for your lawn if you’re looking for a walkway that requires low maintenance!

Sandstone

Sandstone is a commonly occurring rock across the United States. Sandstone is also the official state rock of Nevada, where Everything Turf Pros is located! 

If you have seen photos of the Grand Canyon, then you know what Sandstone looks like. It’s a warm-toned rock with easy to see layers. Sandstone has been used for millennia by ancient peoples to carve statues, artwork, temples, housing, and housewares. The rock is soft, making it easy to carve and a common choice for modern landscaping.

Sandstone is gathered by quarrying large chunks of the rock. It is often kept in large pieces and used as flagstone for yards. Sandstone can also be broken down into smaller chunks, like pebbles, and can be smoothed and rounded or left rough and natural. These pebbles can be used like mulch and protect your drought-resistant plants from weeds.

Rubble rock

Rubble rock is a very rough and natural-looking stone that comes from the rubble of masonry. It is the color of whatever stone it’s broken off of. Many landscapers use rubble rock to build stone walls or edging around a garden. Rubble rock is also used in aquariums as a filler. 

Every rock on this list has its own unique size and color, each bringing its own atmosphere to the lawn they’re laid in. Pea gravel and river rock are the most affordable on our list, while lava rock and Mexican Beach Pebbles are on the more expensive side because of the way they are gathered. We hope that this list gives you some ideas for your next landscaping project, whatever your budget or visual preferences are!