If you’re looking to take your landscaping design to the next level, the right combination of decorative stones can certainly help.

Whether you work as a design professional or commercial builder or you’re a homeowner considering how to curb appeal, you’re likely considering outdoor decorating stones for your next landscaping project. Incorporating outdoor decorative stones and rocks can elevate the finalized look of the space and even make it more sustainable.

Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of using outdoor decorative stones and rocks in landscaping. We’ll also share what makes our best-selling options popular so you can get the inspiration you need for your next project.

Benefits of Using Outdoor Decorative Stones in Landscaping

Choosing the right combination of stones can sometimes seem like a difficult undertaking: you have to decide which types you want to use, make sure your design plan fits within your budget, find the right suppliers, and coordinate purchasing.

If you have limited experience with landscape design, it can seem like an intimidating process. But adding outdoor decorative rocks and garden stones can have a lot of perks.

Here are a just a few benefits:

  • Natural stone can withstand harsh weather conditions, including extreme cold, heat, and repetitive rain or storms.
  • Decorative stone and plants mixed together adds color, texture, and variety to your landscape design.
  • Larger boulders, gravel, pebbles, rocks, and other options can be combined to improve drainage efficiency.
  • Landscape rocks and gravel can help you set up walkways that reduce foot traffic over more fragile garden beds and lawns.

Finding the right supplier is often the key to achieving these benefits more easily. Look for a landscaping supplier that has a wide selection and landscaping expertise on-staff. That means you don’t have to spread out your search, purchasing, and delivery tracking process over multiple suppliers, and you likely can get expert input on your plans.

At Minick Materials, we have decades of experience serving the landscape supply needs of everyone from design professionals and commercial builders to homeowners and amateur gardeners. Over the years, we’ve learned which outdoor decorative rocks our customers gravitate to the most, which can be great inspiration for new projects.

Get Inspiration for Your Next Project: Minick’s Best Sellers

Here we countdown our top nine bestsellers, hoping you will discover some ideas for your outdoor areas. When looking at these options, consider what will work best for your climate, the amount of space you need to cover, and what combinations you think will look best.

Decorative Boulders

Large decorative boulders can make a statement and be a focal point all on their own. Whether you want a Japanese-inspired rock garden or a minimalist installation, the right-sized boulder will create impact and beauty where you place it.

When choosing natural polished landscape boulders, using local stones and placing them in groups can help the arrangement feel more realistic and appealing.

Here’s a fact most people don't know: if you’re looking for a decorative boulder, you can request the size you want! Whether you need medium or large boulders to perfect your design, we have many sources and we will make our best effort to find the right decorative boulder for you.

Holey Boulders

Holey stone boulders are a specific and unique type of decorative boulder, and these don’t come in every day. They are also not always available in every size, and the best ones sell fast.

These boulders can serve as interesting and unique accents for gardens and other landscaped spaces because each is very distinct. Call us and we’ll help you find the perfect one for your space.

Decorative Crushed Stones

At Minick Materials, the crushed stones we supply are made by and for us, and you can choose the size you want. Crushed decorative stones are really trendy right now since they come in many colors and material types to suit every decorative style. You can choose between granite, lava rock, obsidian, and more.

You can vary the size and use them to control traffic, since the larger ones deter people and pets from walking on them, while the smaller ones make comfortable walking paths. Crushed limestone is often a great option for high-traffic pathways.

River Rock

River rock is a classic for landscaping and water features, because of its pleasing shape and wide array of colors. They are a steady best-seller here at Minick, and we are constantly sourcing the best river pebbles for our customers.

For example, Mexican beach pebbles are highly sought after, and we keep them in constant rotation. We also have fancier options beyond natural river stone: some garden pebbles even come in a glow-in-the-dark option – a great choice for garden paths!

Cobblestones

Cobblestones are always a great option for walking paths and driveways and help landscaping projects achieve a timeless, classic look. They are also great for lining garden paths and look beautiful around water features and flower beds.

When it comes to cobblestones, multicolor, Salida, and Washita are the most popular among the options we carry. They usually come in two sizes: 2”-4” and 4”-8”. You can choose either one depending on how you intend to use them, and our team can give you guidance on which option is right for your needs.

Decorative Gravel

Gravel is being used more and more as mulch in flower beds, as well as to cover driveways and paths. Decorative gravel is very versatile: you can use it as mulch or ground cover, as an architectural feature, for attractive looking drainage, and more. We carry many colors and sizes, among which black eagle is extremely popular because of its style and durability.

Often, landscapers also choose pea gravel for high-traffic pathways, since this type of gravel has a fairly smooth finish that makes it easy to walk on, even for pets.

Decomposed Granite

Decomposed granite is an industry term for bits and flakes of granite, which are sorted by size. They are often used as a ground cover or as paver stabilizers and are really trendy in architectural features. Among these, our top seller is Desert Gold (DG for short), which comes in a very attractive golden shade of tan/beige.

Gabion Stones and Decorative Gabion Baskets

Gabion stones are a popular stone feature to add to more comprehensive landscaping projects. The boxes or cylinders created, also called gabion baskets, are often made with granite rock and form walls or containers that can be used either as design elements or as structural components, such as a retaining wall.

Decorative gabion baskets are a timeless best seller for their beauty and their structural uses. While gabion baskets are usually filled with river stones, did you know that “gabion” can also mean a stone that’s about 8” in size?

Flagstone

When it comes to timeless decorative stone, flagstone is at the tip of everyone’s tongue. It's just so easy to use! It’s very simple to install, and it fits in with practically any decor style. Flagstone is super versatile, and it can be used in many ways: as pavers, as a wall covering, in stairways, to create dramatic water features... And one more good thing is that its sleek look never goes out of style!

Decorative Stone Tips

Now that you have some ideas about what kinds of stones your project may benefit from, let’s review how you can make sure you have enough materials to get the job done right.

Calculate How Much Stone You Need

It’s OK if you don’t know how much stone you need for your project - we have some handy formulas and step-by-step instructions to help you figure it out. Click here to learn how to calculate how much rock you will need.

Find Your Style

Choosing the right decorative rock involves several factors: the use you plan to give it, the style you prefer, your budget, and even weather or drainage considerations. Just remember: the best deals are not always exactly what you dream of, but a little compromise can save you a lot of money. Click here to read how to select the right rock for you.

Buy by the Yard or Ton from a Landscape Supplier

Buying from wholesale suppliers is always going to get you a better price, especially if you buy by the cubic yard instead of pre-packed bags. The customer service team at Minick is always happy to advise you on your project, help you choose the right stone, and deliver it to you nationwide.

Ready to Get Started? Contact Us to Learn More

At Minick Materials, we work hard to make sure our customers have everything they need to succeed in their projects. If you have questions about selecting the right decorative stones or about the purchase and delivery process, we’d love to connect with you, whether online, on the phone, or at one of our local stores.

We’ve built a team of industry experts to answer our customers' questions. No matter the size of your project or whether you’re a professional or a do-it-yourself enthusiast, we’re always ready to provide exceptional support and customer service. Contact us today for all your outdoor decorative stone and landscaping supply needs.