Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Mar 21, 2011 6:28 pm Hi again We're just starting to create a back garden (after 2 years of being in our house!! ) but we've decided to go for something completely maintenance free. That means we're going to try to put a load of pebbles out there of differing colours and some garden beds. Could you suggest a place on the web where we could find example gardens of this type or post could you post some photographs of your own gravel gardens. Again any examples would be much appreciated . Many thanks Flew Re: Low Maintenance Gardens 2Mar 21, 2011 6:35 pm Probably the most popular stone garden is the dry river bed look. Mind you our dry river bed hasn't been that dry this year There are heaps of photographs here: http://search.gardenweb.com/search/nph- ... with+Stone The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: Low Maintenance Gardens 3Mar 21, 2011 7:35 pm Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but maintenance-free gardens don't exist. LOW maintenance is possible, but I'd advise against large expanses of pebbles and gravel because: - Despite some "experts" promoting these as good mulches, they're not. A mulch breaks down and replenishes soil over time. It also holds moisture and keeps the plant roots cool - stones heat up. - Weeds will pop up regardless of what you use. They're much harder to remove from pebbles than from leaf, straw or bark mulches. Pebbles in smaller areas as a feature look great, and gravels make fantastic paths, but for large areas, mulched beds and/or lawns or lawn alternatives (not plastic) work better to cover the bulk of the space. I'm just saying it before Fu does.... Anyway, we've done alternate strips of river pebbles with garden beds, and gravel paths (to which we'll add square paver step stones one of these days) in our front yard: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Low Maintenance Gardens 5Apr 05, 2011 2:20 am The flaw with that concept is that for plants to grow they need soil, rich soil. That is an exhaustible resource. it runs out. When that happens under the pebbles, it gets very high maintenance. Water, diseases, are not helped by pebbles. Raw fresh mulches are the sustenance for the garden. They are the least messy option. In fact I'll say they are less mess than pebbles by miles. I liken putting pebbles on a garden like driving to Sydney from Perth but only filling the tank once and taking no money. That mulch is what create new soil, new soil and its creation is what boosts microbes, microbes are what do the work for you They feed the plant. Plant stays healthy and away you go. Oh and raw uncomposted mulches are proven to reduce water loss from the soil more efficiently than pebbles. 90% more efficiently than messy troublesome black mulch. I am known to have posted many times, there is no more high maintenance garden than the perceived low maintenance garden 4 6201 If you can calculate the reasonable charged head from let's say 100mm below the gutter to the top of where the vertical riser's horizontal discharge pipe will be, that… 11 17530 Those span tables can be pushed a little for a low deck if you dont mind a little flex. Last deck I did, I pushed it a little and it was still rock solid - no noticeable… 6 13762 |