Rock landscaping in Spring Hill and Hudson, FL

Where rock works best

Rock shines in the spots where mulch has a hard time: the strip along the driveway that gets driven over, the bed by the mailbox that washes out every time it rains, the narrow side of the house where nothing grows, and the area around the air conditioner. It doesn’t break down, blow away or fade the way mulch does, so a rock bed looks the same years later.

The bed along a sidewalk in the photo at the top of this page is a good example: red rock, a few low plants and path lights, with a clean edge against the lawn.

How a rock bed goes in

The bed is cleared of grass, weeds and roots first and the ground is leveled so the rock sits evenly. Landscape fabric is usually laid under the rock to keep weeds from coming up through it and the rock from sinking into the sand, and a firm edge holds the rock in the bed and out of the lawn.

Then the rock goes down to an even depth, with openings cut in the fabric for any plants. Shrubs and plants that like it hot and dry do best in rock beds, since rock holds the sun’s heat more than mulch does.

Rock or mulch?

Rock costs more up front, but it lasts for years with little more than a blow off and pulling the odd weed. Mulch costs less, is better for the soil and the plants, and needs a fresh layer about once a year. A lot of yards end up with both: mulch in the planting beds around the house and rock along the driveway, walks and mailbox.