Garden Gravel: Options and Uses Explained

Gravel is used throughout our gardens, for everything from decorative features to hardy pathways. When looking to buy garden gravel in the UK you’ll have a huge range of products available, from the natural look of pea shingles to coloured options available in either consistent hues or attractive blends. In this guide to garden gravel from Building Materials Nationwide, we’ll explore your various options when shopping for decorative stones, and the ways they can be used within a garden.

The Benefits of Garden Gravel

Gravel is a durable, multipurpose gardening product, that will require little maintenance once installed. Composed of loose rock fragments, which can range in diameter from 2 to 80mm, gravel will either be naturally formed or artificially made from crushed rocks. Compared to other aspects of a garden such as soil, grass, and trees, gravel can be simply poured into place and left as is, with little maintenance needed to keep its looks. Gravel also drains water easily, and suppresses weed growth.

What Different Types of Garden Gravel Are Available?

When shopping for garden gravel you’ll have a wide range of options available, with many different colours and sizes on offer. Here are just some of the products that you’ll see on sale within the UK.

Black Ice Gravel

Black ice gravel is a blend of different stones, often including a mixture of black, blue, white, and grey, giving an eye-catching and modern look to a garden. Black ice gravel will typically be sold in 14-20mm diameter pieces, making it suitable for hardier uses like driveways and paths.

Pea Shingle

Pea shingle, sometimes called pea gravel, is composed of small stones in a range of colours, with a comparable look to the stones on a beach. This can bring a natural aesthetic to a garden space. Both 10mm and 20mm diameter variations are available, with the 10mm more suited to applications like plant bedding while thicker gravel can be used for garden paths.

Stone Chippings

Stone chippings are a type of decorative garden aggregate, made from larger pieces of one type of stone, normally slate. Slate chippings will be flat, with smooth surfaces on either side. They can bring an attractive look to a garden space, contrasting well with trees or buildings. As an alternative to traditional gravel, stone chippings bring many of the same benefits with a different look and texture.

Golden Gravel

This garden gravel combines gold, brown, and grey stones to give an attractive yellow look. It can be used throughout a garden, with 10mm and 20mm options available.

Blue Gravel

Blue garden gravel is available in a range of choices, though its blue colour is in most cases slight at best, with more of a grey look. Blue-hued stone chippings are also available.

Grey Gravel

Coming in a natural light grey colour, grey garden gravel can be used for large-scale landscaping needs and to construct sturdy driveways.

White Gravel

White gravel will bring a striking and unique look to your garden spaces, whether used for borders, pathways, or around a pond. Small white gravel will contrast with natural elements like plants, and also with wooden features in a garden.

Our Full Range of Gravel

All Gravel

What is Garden Gravel Used For?

There is a suite of uses for garden gravel within landscaping. These uses will all benefit from the ease of installation and maintenance offered by gravel. Wind will naturally move gravel from its intended spaces, which can require topping up in some cases. It can be worth buying an extra bag, particularly if opting for a larger installation.

Japanese Gardens (Zen Garden)

The classic look of a karesansui garden can be replicated in the UK. A smaller grey or white gravel can be installed within large beds, often with a decorative rock as a centrepiece. For an authentic look, this gravel will need to be raked into patterns. You’ll be looking for a solid depth of around 75mm to allow you to rake the gravel without exposing the base. Ensuring a flat bed that is supported by a base of crushed stones and a weed membrane is important, to keep an even surface that is free from any plant growth.

Pathways and Driveways

Garden Gravel is perfect for creating pathways and driveways in a front or back garden. Larger stones of at least 20mm diameter bring benefits here, as smaller garden stones are likely to become lodged within shoes and car tyres. When opting to use gravel in a weight-based use it’s important to install it correctly. 

This means you’ll need to firmly flatten the soil base below, which will then be covered with a layer of crushed rocks and a weed control membrane. You’ll also need to have a solid border around your gravel to ensure it remains in place. Larger options like stone chippings are also a popular choice for paths. Alternatively, garden gravel can be used as a base for paving, creating solid pathways or decking-type areas.

Garden Beds

Gravel can be used for plant bedding, both offering an attractive look and working as an effective mulcher. Gravel will aid moisture retention, and hold heat for longer during the colder times of the year. Smaller gravel such as pea shingles can also be used within plant pots. Gravel beds can be used as a decorative feature within a garden, bordering or contrasting with other elements such as paths or plant beds.

Water Features

Gravel can be used to border water features like ponds and fountains, with its excellent drainage helping to avoid water pooling. It can also be placed within a water feature to create an attractive natural look.

How is Garden Gravel Sold and What Does it Cost?

When shopping for garden gravel you will typically have the option of a standard bag or a bulk bag. Standard bags will normally be 25kg and bulk bags will either be 750kg or 850kg. Choosing a bulk bag option will bring savings compared to smaller options, making it the best choice for larger applications like creating a driveway. As of the time of writing, a small bag of pea shingle costs £2.22 before VAT and an 850kg bulk bag costs £48.33 before VAT, a saving of £27.15 over buying the same weight in smaller bags. 

Our Selection of Garden Gravel For Sale

Building Materials Nationwide works with landscapers across the country, offering a huge range of building supplies. Our selection of landscaping materials includes garden gravel and sand. We also offer a range of mulches, soils, and garden chemicals for sale, with bulk bags available for professional use or for a DIY landscaping project. 

We offer trade accounts for customers within the industry, getting access to our express nationwide delivery, our wide network of suppliers, and the services of a dedicated account manager, who’ll be able to organise large or specific orders for you. 

Sign up for a trade account through our website today.