30 Aug How to Lay Landscape Stones: A Brief Guide

Decorative rock and landscaping stones add style and character to your Arizona home. From a simple garden path or walkway to edging, steppingstones, ponds adorned with river rock, elaborate garden beds, and crushed stone driveways to illuminate your path, opportunities for creativity are endless. 

There are as many decorative stone shapes, sizes, colors, and textures as there are design possibilities. Follow this brief tutorial on how to lay landscape stones to help you get started. Contact our quality landscape design contractor in Tucson when you are ready to bring your vision to life.

1. Decide on Stone Placement 

Map out your landscape rock placement before starting installation. Using a pencil and paper, or whatever method works best for you, create your design, and know with reasonable certainty where you will place your stones. This planning phase is the best time to consider what stone sizes, textures, and colors work best for dramatic effect.

2. Measure Your Space and Estimate the Number of Stones 

After the drafting phase, take measurements of the physical space for your design. You can use an edging tool to draw an outline of your plan in the soil. Making a lifestyle rendering of your design will give you a better sense of how to lay your landscape stones. It may be helpful to dig in the proposed location of the rocks to get a sense of the size and number of stones needed for your project. Be sure to penetrate to a depth that would realistically keep the rocks in place.

3. Create a Form Soil Base 

Be sure to press down the soil before placing the landscaping stones to create a firm base for stone placement. This soil base is especially vital for heavier stones requiring solid ground to prevent settling.  

4. Install a Weed Barrier 

Removing weeds from your finished landscape design is messy and disruptive. To avoid this inconvenience, build a weed barrier into the design by installing landscape fabric along the area of your rocks. 

5. Lay Your Landscape Stones and Add Finishing Touches

Once you have decided how to lay landscape stones, you are ready to place them into position. While the design is entirely up to you, it is not advisable to stack stones as they can easily fall out of place. 

If you hadn’t thought of it before, consider adding finishing touches to your creation, such as water features, decorative plants, flowers, or outdoor lighting to complete your design.

Contact Us

Decorative stones, rocks, and beach pebbles add beauty and character to your property. When you want professional assistance with the landscaping in your yard or need guidance on how to lay landscape stones, contact the experts at Santa Rita Landscaping, LLC. As the premier landscaper for the residents of Phoenix, Tucson, and the surrounding areas, we know the current landscaping trends and have the expertise and resources to deliver top-quality results. 

Call us at (520) 623-0421 to schedule a consultation.