Different Design Inspirations - There are so many different ways to design your garden. Whether you want to go for the crazy and colourful; or the plain and simple, there’s a type of gravel to suit any design.

If you’re having trouble choosing a theme or design layout, there’s no need to worry. Some of the most effective and amazing designs can start from the most simple of starting points such as a colour, shape or even cultural theme.

When trying to design your garden, it’s a good idea to do some initial research first. Through simple steps, this guide will help you to pick which kind of gravel garden design you'd like to go for:

Choosing Your Garden Style & Type of Gravel

It's firstly important to consider what kind of style / look you want and then to find the gravel that looks right for the look you are trying to achieve.

Pathway Gravel Design

For example, if you want a lot of flat pathways linking in with each other around flowers or hedges etc (similar to the second image above), then self-binding gravel will be the perfect choice for this.

Decorative Gravel Garden Design

If you prefer the idea to make gravel more of a decorative asset opposed to a practical one then maybe choosing types of gravel such as 
Golden Flint or Oxford Blue Flint might be a better choice. As the name suggests, Golden Flint has a lot of yellow/gold colours in a sort of autumn style blend. This gravel is also much larger than the self-binding gravel and so is much better for bold decorative purposes. It is often used for bordering or to place in pots to cover the soil and so making it look a lot better whilst not causing any harm to the plant. Examples are shown below.

Modern Gravel Design

Oxford Blue Flint is perfect for dressing driveways, footpaths, borders and general landscaping. The severe shapes and contrasting colour of white and slate blue/black creates a striking and effective finish to the chosen landscape. This can be a very effective option for someone who wants to get the modern and cubic style garden or may be suited for someone who prefers not to use bold, bright colours.

Simple Gravel Designs

Pea shingle is a type of gravel that consists of small, rounded stones used in concrete surfaces. It is also used for walkways, driveways and as a substrate in home aquariums. Due to its small size and beige  like colour, it is perfect for creating precise shaping and decorating within a garden. The Pea shingle is usually all very similar in shape and size and so helps to create a neater look rather than a messier one due to odd sizes and shapes. It is a very easy type of gravel to work with and is perfect if you are looking for gravel that will look tidy and simple.