Muddy Yard? Clean It Up With River Rocks!

Arizona River Rock 2-4" at Classic Rock Stone Yard.

This time of year is not only chilly, but can also be very muddy.  Nearly all of us have had to deal with mud in our yards.  This leads to pets and/or children tracking in mud on your nice clean floors.  Guess what?  Stone can help alleviate this problem!

Zero-scaping has become a popular trend due to water restrictions.  This home was landscaped by Tropical John of Rockwall, TX.

Flagstone works well to make a pathway through muddy areas.  But what about larger areas where grass just won't grow?  Two words - River Rock.  Adding River Rock to your yard can help with the mud issues and look fantastic!

Rainbow River Rock 3-5" with Oklahoma Flagstone steps.

River Rock can be used for general coverage of a large or small area, a dry river bed,  flower bed edging, or even in place of mulch in flower beds.  Let's take a look at some examples!

Before...

After...

FGO Landscaping & Stone added Arizona River Rock around their customer's pool.

Nearly everyone has them...ugly places in your yard where things just won't grow.  Tired of looking at this area day after day?  Add something worth gathering your attention.  River Rock and/or decorative gravel can be an affordable way to give your yard a crisp new look.

Native Gravel was used to cover a large area of yard.  It will cover a lot of area
 (162 square feet @ a depth of 2") and is low cost at $75/yard.

The City of Rowlett covered large areas using Rainbow River Rock.

Dry River Beds not only look amazing but can be very functional as well.   They key to a realistic dry river bed is to mix several kinds of river rocks and add different sizes.   A river does not have one size/one color of rock so neither should yours.  

Variety of Rainbow River Rock sizes.  Functional and looks fabulous!

Tropical John builds one heck of a river bed!

Once you have decided on the location of your new river bed, get the measurements.  Figure the length and width of the area.  Now get an idea of how deep you want it to be.  Is there already erosion from running water when it rains?    Here is a breakdown of how to figure the quantity you will need:

• 2-4" River Rock covers ~80 square feet per ton, 1 layer of rocks deep
• 1" and smaller we figure by the cubic yard - 1 yard covers roughly 162 square feet at 2" deep

The Patient Gardener used Cherokee River Rock along with Moss Boulders and an Oklahoma Slab as a bridge for this large river bed.

Mix and match colors and sizes to create the perfect design for you. Have questions?  Give us a call 214-771-0002 or send an e-mail. What other ways have you used River Rock?  Sound off in the comments below!