Aggregates

Very many homeowners are looking for easier ways to maintain their property. An attractive, ecologically friendly way to achieve this is by the use of aggregates.

Legislation has made the concreting over of gardens for car parking purposes by block paving and similar methods more difficult to obtain. The water table, high rainfall and failure of these methods to allow rainwater to soak away has caused even more homeowners to look at other attractive methods, and this is where aggregates come into their own.

Many gardeners also want to incorporate decorative aggregates into a garden design - around a stand alone statue or water feature for instance. Aggregates are widely used spread along the shrub border to prevent invasive weeds - this also greatly assists disabled gardeners and those with problem bad backs. The contrast of a blue or plum slate for instance against your bright green or yellow foliage can be spectacular.

Gone are the days when your choice was restricted to pea gravel and boring colour shades - now you can choose from a massive array of materials - including grit, pebbles, cobbles, stone chippings and slate; all available in a wide range of colours - from Gold Flint to Blue Slate; from Black Sea Cobbles to Pearl White Cobbles; from Plum Slate to Scottish Tweed Pebbles. With sizes ranging from 2mm - 90mm there will be a decorative aggregate to suit you for any task.

Prepare the ground by removing or killing weeds with herbicide (don't allow any spray onto nearby plants you want to preserve) and lay a suitable weed stop layer. Garden Oasis stocks an excellent product for this purpose - Heavy Duty Weed Stop Fabric (find under Paving and Aggregates / Landscaping Materials).