How to create a gravel garden

From Stone Warehouse. This guide is based on the UK video "How To Make And Maintain A Gravel Garden" from Stone Warehouse, a UK garden stone and gravel supplier. It covers the process from site clearance through to the finished planted area, and is a reliable practical overview of how to get this right.

1. Choose the site and decide on the extent

Gravel gardens work best in full sun or partial shade. They suit sloping or undulating ground well, and gravel helps stabilise banks that can be tricky to maintain as lawn or border. Mark out the area with a hosepipe or sand line before you commit to anything.

Think about what goes around the edges too. Gravel has a habit of spreading onto lawns and paths unless you contain it properly. Having a clear plan for the edging at the start saves a lot of picking stones out of the grass later.

2. Clear the area completely

Remove all existing plants, turf, and weeds. Perennial weeds like bindweed, couch grass, and creeping thistle need to come out roots and all, otherwise they will push straight back up through the membrane. Either dig them out carefully or treat with weedkiller and wait for the foliage to die back before clearing.

For a larger area, hiring a turf cutter makes quick work of removing an existing lawn. Stack the turves somewhere useful, grass-side down, to rot into loam over the next year or two.

3. Install the edging

Fitting edging before the membrane means you do not have to cut around it later. Steel or aluminium lawn edging, timber boards, log roll, or mowing strip blocks all work. The edging should sit just above the final gravel level so it keeps the stones contained.

On a slope, edging helps stop gravel migrating downhill in heavy rain. Peg it in properly and backfill firmly on the outer side so it does not shift.

4. Dig out to the right depth

Take the soil level down by about 7 to 10 centimetres. This gives you room for the membrane and the gravel layer, so the finished level sits at or just below the surrounding ground. If the soil is compacted or poorly drained, fork it over to a spade's depth before laying the membrane.

Remove any stones or debris as you go. The cleaner and flatter the base, the better the membrane will sit and the more evenly the gravel will settle.

5. Lay the weed-suppressing membrane

Use a quality woven or non-woven landscape membrane, not thin builder's polythene. Polythene does not let water through properly and roots will mat under it. A decent membrane lets rain drain through while blocking most of the light that weed seeds need to germinate.

Overlap joins by at least 30 centimetres and secure with metal staples or pegs every metre or so. Bring the membrane up slightly at the edges and fold it against the edging before pegging. This stops gravel working its way underneath at the sides.

6. Plant through the membrane before adding gravel

It is much easier to plant before the gravel goes down. Mark planting positions, cut a cross or an X in the membrane, fold back the flaps, dig the hole, and plant. Fold the membrane back tight around the stem. The soil around each plant should be at the same level as the surrounding base.

Choose plants that suit dry, sunny conditions: lavender, echinacea, salvias, alliums, ornamental grasses, and low-growing sedums all do well in gravel gardens. Avoid plants that need constant moisture or rich soil.

7. Spread the gravel to an even depth

Tip the gravel in batches and spread with a rake to a depth of about 5 centimetres. A uniform layer is important: too thin and the membrane shows through; too thick and the gravel shifts underfoot. Work from one edge of the area and tamp the gravel lightly with the back of the rake as you go.

Decorative gravel comes in many colours and sizes. For planted areas, a mid-sized stone of 10 to 20mm works well. Very small pea gravel looks good but compacts over time and is harder to maintain. Larger cobbles look striking but can be awkward to walk on.

8. Water the plants in and bed the gravel down

Once the gravel is spread, water all the plants in well. The gravel will settle slightly after the first few watering sessions and will bed down further over the first winter. Top it up the following spring if any thin patches appear.

Maintenance is light. Pull out any weeds that do establish before they get a grip. Add fresh gravel every few years as it sinks into the soil or spreads. The planted area will gradually knit together and reduce the amount of weeding needed year by year.

When to call a handyman

If the area is large, if the ground is sloping, or if you need heavy clearance work first, it is worth getting some help. Richard can assist with ground preparation, edging, and getting a gravel garden set up across Sandwich and the surrounding East Kent area.