Lime-stone-forming environments exist worldwide, and this material contains 50% calcium carbonate. You can often find limestone landscape rock in backyard gardens used as limestone gravel.
However, there are several ways to make the most of the precious material in landscapes to enhance spaces and draw attention to specific plants. There’s no better choice for landscaping rock than limestone.
So, what are the most common limestone rock uses for landscaping? And how can you upgrade an outdoor area using this material?
Let’s take a look at landscaping tips for incorporating limestone rock into garden projects.
What Is Limestone Landscape Rock?
Limestone landscape rock is made up of calcite (calcium carbonate mineral) and is found in shallow and clear water. You can find limestone rock in gardens, as it’s a great durable choice for landscapers and looks incredible.
The unique appearance of limestone adds a sprinkle of personality and depth to a garden area or outdoor space. It’s a popular choice to create attractive borders or sturdy pathways.
Full of Nutrients
Limestone is also rich in nutrients, making this rock ideal for pairing with surrounding plants. Plants need sunlight and water to thrive but also plenty of nutrients.
Some gardeners sprinkle limestone into the soil to boost nutrients, as it’s full of calcium. But another great way to make the most of limestone nutrients is to create landscaping gravel with this material.
Helps Maintain a Garden
Maintaining a lawn or other grass area can be tricky, so it’s essential to have a frequent cleaning schedule and pick the right materials for the landscape. Limestone is ideal for limiting harmful toxins from ruining your garden.
Limestone is the best choice if you want to place a drought-resistant material that will protect against sun damage and helps reduce foot traffic marks.
Both granular and slabs of limestones are effective for maintaining your garden. So, you can pick the best option depending on the space available for landscaping.
Reduces Acidity in Soil
The compounds in limestone, such as magnesium phosphate and calcium carbonate, which are both alkaline, can reduce the acidity in the soil.
If you’re struggling to control the soil’s acidity, you should consider using limestone to balance the pH levels. This will allow you to grow healthy plants.
Whereas, if the soil becomes too acidic, it can negatively affect plants and their growth and make it challenging for them to develop.
That said, you should be cautious about how much limestone you use in a garden, as you don’t want to overuse this material. Otherwise, you could increase the pH levels past the ideal range.
So, just be careful and mindful about the amount of limestone and where you place it in a landscape.
Limestone Looks Amazing
There’s no denying that limestone is one of the most beautiful materials to use for decorating and transforming an outdoor space.
Typically, you can see limestone in a white color, which creates a powerful contrast with the dark soil and nearby plants. But limestone is also great for molding and carving into different shapes.
This is perfect for landscapers who want to customize their materials and use contrasting shapes to highlight the features of a garden. Limestones allow you to be creative and stylize an outdoor space.
Plus, limestone can last long, so you don’t have to replace it constantly. If you look after it correctly, it will retain its original appearance years after it’s been placed.
How to Use Limestone in a Garden
Once you use limestone in your garden, you don’t want just to place it anywhere. You need to think strategically about the location and ensure you place it in an area that’s not overcrowded.
The first use of limestone is to create sections.
Separate Garden Sections
All outdoor spaces and gardens come in different sizes, but for a coherent design, you want to separate sections for plants, flowers, and crops. Otherwise, plants can become overcrowded and suffocated.
But you don’t want sections to look untidy and drastic. The best way to create sections is to use limestone rocks that look naturalistic but mark a clear distinction between areas.
Limestone will improve soil conditions for plants and allow you to separate areas for other parts of the garden.
Make a Pond Border
For outdoor spaces that have ponds, limestone is excellent for creating a border and decorating the space. This material is used for adding depth and contrast with the water in a pond.
So, limestone can take a small pond to the next level and create a dramatic, impressive aesthetic. This is a good way of turning a minimal pond into something that looks bigger and has extra texture.
To make the limestone even more textured, you can customize it in contrasting shapes and sizes. You can line up several tiny limestones or larger slabs.
The great thing is the material is flexible so that you can let your creativity run!
Use for a Walkway
A walkway is essential for gardens that require regular maintenance and for people to stroll and enjoy the space. So, you want to make pathways a top priority when designing a landscape.
But, sometimes, pathways get lost amongst the grass and plant colors. Therefore, you need a material that’s clear and bold. Limestone works well as a walkway material, and the white color makes it instantly recognizable.
You can even include solar lights along the path to ensure that people can see where they are walking in the dark and highlight the edges, so there’s no risk of falling or injuries.
Limestone can be used for a straight path or to create steps up to another level of a garden. For instance, you can place limestones leading to a seating area or fountain in the garden’s center.
Alternatively, you can use limestone for a rock garden and make a beautiful display out of the rocks in a section of the outdoor space.
The choice will depend on personal taste, but there are many ways to use limestone for decoration and practical reasons.
Cleaning Limestone Outdoors
After limestone has been incorporated into a garden, you need to care for the material carefully if you want it to look nice. Maintenance is important for small gravel and large slabs.
So, here are some tips for cleaning limestone rock.
Gently Rinse With Water
As limestone is a delicate material, you don’t want to wash the material with harsh chemicals that could damage the quality and markings on the stone. You should gently rinse the limestone with water when it looks dirty.
The best way to clean the limestone with water is to use a water pressure on the lowest setting and throw a bucket of water over the stone. You can do this at home or on a larger property.
So, it makes it easier to people to look after the material.
Look Out for Stubborn Stains
Stains can happen for many reasons, so it’s good to know what to do to develop or spread. You can look out for stains when doing maintenance work or suggest setting a weekly time to remove stubborn stains.
Most of the time, you won’t have issues with limestone, but problems can happen when working with this material. You can always apply a sealant for obvious issues or make sure the limestone is placed out of the way.
There’s only so much you can do to limit the risk of stains, but thinking about the location and surrounding plants or buildings will help keep the stone clear.
Possible Issues With Limestone
Similar to other materials, limestone can be a victim of weathering, especially if there’s a lot of rainfall and moisture. If there’s regular rainfall, you should be careful about the material and prevent stains.
Again, the location of the limestone can limit the weathering risk, but it’s a natural material and is robust, so it should last for a long time without water damage.
Another problem is erosion which happens the more time the limestone is left without being replaced. If the climate is windy and there’s a lot of debris flying around, the limestone could develop marks.
To avoid erosion and rainfall damage, you should try to place the limestone near walls if possible. This will provide some wind protection and increase the material’s lifespan.
The last problem is crumbling due to age and external threats like harsh weather. If the crumbling is beginning, you can replace a small section. Or, you can wait until it breaks and replace it then.
Make Limestone the Centerpiece of a Garden
Limestone landscape rock will add nutrients to a garden, highlight focal points, and provide a clear pathway for visitors. It’s rare to find a material that’s so versatile and convenient for landscaping.
But, without high-quality limestone rock, you can’t take advantage of this material in outdoor spaces.
That’s where we can help!
We sell the best limestone for gravel, pathways, and border plants. Let us know what you need, and you can start upgrading your outdoor space.
