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The only 100% indigenous web magazine for
South African gardeners
inspiring Your indigenous garden
Gravel Gardens
Neat, simple entranceThis simple, elegant design looks good year round. Elegia tectorum skirts the base of the Cabbage tree in a circle of stones. Lampranthus and other vygies soften the hard materials. | Annual daisiesAnnuals add a brush of informality to this stone floor. | Use heat-hardy plantsDaisy annual, aloes, gazanias, Felicia and Agapanthus thrive in the hot sun. | Choose plants to handle the heatBulbine, Crassula and aloes are water wise and heat-hardy plants to use in a gravel bed. | Generous focal pointAn out-sized red pot relieves the blur of foliage and rock. |
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Gravel plantsAloes, grasses and succulents are natural bedfellows for a gravel garden. | Announcing guestsA meandering gravel entrance path to inspire guests - and the crunch underfoot announces their arrival. | A raised edge keeps all in placeEdging keeps this narrow gravel bed secure, and makes it easy to trim the adjacent lawn. | Perfect pathway partnersSimple round pavers provide secure footing | Divide the spaceSmall islands provide interest and wildlife refuge, help to break up the glare of gravel, and creates the popular 'room' effect in the landscape. |
Choose daisies for bright colourPlant daisies to spread with exuberance across the gravel floor - and provide pollen for insects. | Define the edgeUse small rocks to define the edges of the gravel floor and prevent stones and adjacent soil from mixing together. | Adding outliersAdding a few outliers like these Falkia repens as escapees from the bed adds charm and informality to a design. Speckled Ledebouria create a seasonal edging and mix well with the soft mounds of Falkia. | Entertaining Africa-styleA gravel and paved floor links the rock pool to the braai patio. | Add strong base weightLarge pots and generously-sized pavers adds strong contrast to the spread of small gravel stones. |
Gravel pathWithout an edging, the gravel bleeds into the adjacent bed and will need to be replenished. | Gravel pathAlternating pavers and grass clumps turn this short path into a feature of interest and slows the pace of movement along its length. | Quirky featuresTiny succulents turn this rock into a small, single feature of interest. | Aristida junciformis for a soft edgeGrasses and gravel work well together and help to both soften and cool the hard driveway materials. | Water feature in a gravel scapeA gravel garden expands the size and diversity of this entrance water feature. |
Groundcover of stonesA gravel floor allows for generous spacing between feature plants. | Add small artistic touchesExpansive gravel floors are bland, boring, hot and unfriendly to wildlife. Add pockets of interest to break up the space. | Stone edgingUse small rocks to edge an adjacent bed. | Firepit spaceUse gravel to provide generous space around a firepit. | Uncommon combinationGrassland Dierama provide ethereal movement to this hard, static design. They may not survive long term in this setting though. |
Neat and cleanGravel provides a neat, clean floor around the house - and the crunch underfoot adds a bonus security feature. |
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