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Gravel - what kind?

JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
in Garden design
Hi all,

I putting in a gravel area at the back of the garden, a summerhouse will go on top of it...but I know nothing about gravel.

The kids will be down there, probably with shoes on, sometimes not.

What kind would be best?

What is pea gravel?

What difference does size make?

Is there a difference in maintenance between types?

Cheers,

Joe
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Posts

  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    Pea gravel is as the name suggests, pea size smooth stones. Cats look on it as a litter tray. 
    Larger pebbles are better, rather like a beach.
    Some gravel can have sharp edges.
    Slate is popular but dark.
    There are suppliers online that can send samples.
    I used to pick mine up from Derbyshire Aggregates as they were not far from where we used to live and their website is good.https://decorativeaggregates.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhd6Az_zS6wIVh-7tCh0_NQRMEAAYASAAEgJ5mPD_BwE


  • rachelQrtJHBjbrachelQrtJHBjb Posts: 819
    Feral cats use our larger gravel as a litter tray too so even if you upsize from pea gravel you may not eliminate the problem. Walking barefoot on any gravel is uncomfortable. If you think the children will walk on it a lot without shoes then slate may be better as it lies flat. I had it in my old garden and could walk on it barefoot.
  • JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
    Thanks Rachel, K67.

    I struggled to find any weed membrane this morning, came back with just a 10x1 roll.  

    On the way I saw some samples:


    The thing is, I dont want it to conflict witht the rest of the garden and I dont have gravel anywhere else - yet, I might use some for a path.  But our existing path is just grey.  I wanted a warmer meditteranean/italian feel so Im thinking cotswold or honey, or maybe the mixed golden stuff.

    Is the paler/whiter stone too dramatic?  Ill be putting a white pergola up in future.
  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    We have 10mm pea gravel.  20mm would also have been fine, but personally I'd find walking on anything bigger quite uncomfortable.  We pay about £60 for a dumpy bag of the stuff, we are in London, so it's probably cheaper in other parts of the country.

    We have rarely had cats poo in it, and we have tonnes of the stuff in our garden.  The cats usually poo in the soil in our flower beds.  We used to have slate chips in our previous garden, but for our tastes now it's a bit too harsh and monotone.  The pea gravel gives a softer, more Mediterranean look.
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    We've had Cotswold chippings put down around our apple tree surrounded by everedge cor-ten edging and it has been great in adding a bright accent. Hasn't been difficult to look after in the last two years it has been down and it's too sharp for any cats or foxes to use as a toilet. But beware that you will need a really strong membrane or even a layer of metal mesh in order to stop the sharp gravel from tearing it. 

    The picture is from a few weeks after all the hard landscaping was done in 2018.


    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    The thing to bear in mid re. Cotswold chippings is that they will make the soil more alkaline.
    Rain is slightly acid and Cotswold chips are limestone so they will very slowly dissolve.
    I had them on my drive for many years, they do look good and were stable, but I didn't have any plants in that area.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    JoeX said
    ...
    Is the paler/whiter stone too dramatic?  Ill be putting a white pergola up in future.
    Colour choice is entirely up to you and what you like the look of, but white/very pale stone chippings always remind me of cemetaries.

    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I have one called Solent Gold [or something similar to that name]
    I doubt I'd want to walk barefoot on it, but the ever present cats round here have never crapped on it.
    Just everywhere else  :#
    It's also lovely when it's wet, as it becomes a richer colour, and is also particularly good at camouflaging angle shade moths....


    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • BigladBiglad Posts: 3,265
    @Fairygirl Spotted it!  :D

    It's amazing how many threads eventually get a cat crap mention, isn't it? The eternal problem!

    Your spoilt for choice there @JoeX :) I'd be going for a non-grey, larger option but it's personal choice and I don't think any would look bad.
    East Lancs
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    We have pea shingle around our raised flower beds,it isn't  particularly smooth, our front drive, we have 20 ml, its called "beach", small "pebbles" outside our summerhouse, tha cats (yes, I DO love them, Hubby won't let me have one since our last died) use our veggi beds not the shingle.  Inspite of weed proof membrane under shingle by veggi beds, you do still get weeds and have found every couple of years we have to top up with another ton.  The front garden which is open plan, we get people letting their dogs crap

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