Aggregate Store Blog

How to decide what Decorative Gravel you need for your Garden

When it comes down to looking at the different types of decorative aggregate to put down on your garden, there are actually quite a few different sorts. It is one of them tasks that at first you think it is going to be a simple decision but when you go shopping around in garden centres and online you realise that there is quite a range available and some types vary drastically in price. What was a simple decision is now a full discussion about colour, look, size etc. This brief guide is here to help point out the main differences between all the decorative aggregates and what to choose depending on your situation.

The differences in decorative aggregate can be split into the following main sections.

Colour – What will look the best?
This is usually the first thing that you will think about when deciding what decorative aggregate to choose from. The colour is one of the most important factors to consider yet it is probably one of the most unimportant in terms of where it can be placed.

The colour really is entirely your decision and not one that others can help with. The only thing we can suggest is what to take into consideration when choosing the colour. Have a look at what is in your garden currently. Do you have a golden colour patio? Or is your garden currently just lawn from top to bottom. Looking at this you can see the colours that are already in your garden and you can then choose a colour that will go with it. The same goes with the colour of your house, try to pick a colour of decorative aggregate that will go with everything.

The only thing left to consider then is whether you want your decorative aggregate to blend in with the rest of your garden or whether you would like it to really stand out. The most popular choice people go for is something that really stands out. For example, our blue slate chippings are very vivid blue colour and for this reason really stand out against a green lawn and brown house. This adds a completely different colour range to the garden and a very unique look.

Size – Does the size of aggregate make a difference?
The next thing to consider is the size of your decorative aggregate. This is a relatively simple decision and it depends exactly where your decorative aggregate is going. The main rule between the sizes is use larger decorative aggregate for driveways and drainage and use smaller aggregate for areas that will go on the garden or will only have foot traffic. The main reason for this is simply because smaller aggregate tends to compact down a lot easier and if it has a vehicle being driven on it everyday, over time it will look like a solid, compacted areas and the only thing that remains from your beautiful driveway is the colour that you picked. This is quite a common occurrence and no doubt you may have seen someone’s driveway that this has happened to. So for a driveway, go for something like our 20mm Cotswold Chippings and you will not go far wrong.

If you are using decorative aggregates to cover a drainage area, it is always best to use pebbles or cobbles as this will cover the area beautifully yet still allow the water to easily pass through it.

Type of Aggregate
The type of aggregate also really boils down to how much traffic the aggregate will see. The most extreme example is again the driveway. We would not recommend using anything like slate for a driveway simply because it is a thin aggregate that chips easily and will end up looking like mulch in no time with vehicular traffic. So when putting decorative aggregates on an area that will have vehicles on it always pick a hard type of decorative aggregate such as granite. A good example of this would be our green chippings.

Location – Can I put my decorative aggregate anywhere
The final thing to consider when choosing the perfect decorative aggregate is the location. This has already been explained above so I will not cover it again, but make sure that if your decorative aggregate is going to receive a lot of heavy traffic, make sure it is a hard type like granite to make sure it will last as long as possible. Otherwise it will look messy, quickly and you will be digging it up again to relay it with something else.

So there we have it, as long as you follow the main indicators above you cannot really go wrong in choosing you decorative aggregate and you won’t waste your money. So many times have I seen a beautiful looking decorative aggregate be put down in the wrong location and it end up being redone within a year. It is well worth considering these few, simple steps before making your purchase.

By Adam Mason