The Gravel Solution That Works For Small Garden Bed Borders

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A freeform, overgrown garden may work for some properties, but if you want to give your outdoor space a more orderly and intentional look, try taming the foliage with some garden bed borders. Using gravel, stones, or flowers, separating garden sections and distinguishing them from the rest of your lawn with clear borders can help you keep your plants straight by making it easier to remember and see where everything is. This is great for creating sleek, modern gardens, but it also works in spaces with a more natural vibe. Whether you want to organize your herbs or add some fun visual interest to your home, make your garden borders extra unique by filling them with aquarium gravel.

Aquarium gravel is made of tiny, smooth, rounded rocks, and is available in a number of colors, like this mix of purple and pink Marina Decorative Gravel (you can also go for a natural color palette if that's your thing). Although you can buy large amounts of aquarium gravel at a time, it is much more expensive than regular crushed stone or other substrates you may use for garden borders, so think of it as a special material to really upgrade small areas of the garden with unique colors or textures. Luckily, you only need a small amount of aquarium gravel to make a big difference to your garden's aesthetic. As long as you're in an aquatic mood, check out how to turn an old aquarium into an outdoor lighting feature.

When figuring out the best layout for your garden, decide where you want to delineate various areas using thin lines of aquarium gravel. Before use in your garden, ensure you wash the rocks thoroughly. Then, this project is as simple as it sounds: figure out where you want the borders to go, and dig out a channel that's a few inches deep. The width of the trench is up to you and how much gravel you want to use; keep in mind that a line of brightly-colored aquarium gravel that's only an inch across will stand out against dark soil. Depending on your needs, you may want to layer in some landscaping fabric. Then, simply fill up the channel with your choice of aquarium gravel, and seal it with mulch glue if needed.

If you have aquarium gravel left over, you can use it to give any pre-existing gravel in your lawn a quick makeover. Sprinkle colorful aquarium gravel over any pebble paths to give them tiny pops of color that will truly make your garden one-of-a-kind. Remember, tiny rocks and lawn mowers don't mix well, so be mindful about where you add your gravel borders so there's no chance of you accidentally mowing over them. For more inspiration on how to elevate your lawn, read up on the hortifuturism trend.