~ Pea Gravel and a French Garden

What is pea gravel?

These small, fluid stones found near bodies of water have an appealingly smooth texture, the result of natural weathering. Pea gravel comes in sizes from 1/8 inch to 3/8 inch, about the size of a pea, and in a range of natural colors like buff, rust brown, shades of gray, white, and translucent.

Pea gravel is often overlooked as mulch material around containers or garden plants: It suppresses weed growth, retains moisture, and doesn’t decompose like organic mulch.

Pros:

Inexpensive
Versatile: can be used for paths, patios, driveways, or as a base for paving stones
Easy to install
Serves as rodent barrier if used around base of house
Prevents weeds
Prevents erosion
Improves drainage
Easily maintained by raking stones into place

Cons:

Travels: needs to be contained with edging material
Difficult to remove from soil if you decide to change landscape
Shifts underfoot; base rock must be added underneath to prevent this
Can be uncomfortable on bare feet (compared to flagstones or concrete)
Does not provide a solid base for dining furniture
Needs to be replenished every four years or so

I have a small patio behind my office - no one uses it but me. There's a lovely Thai Mango tree out there and will be full of fruit in a few months this summer.

But I also have my herbs out there ~ scattered as close to sprinklers as possible so I don't have to go out every day and hose them down.

I tore out some ferns that were out of control to make place for my herbs and some pea gravel.

The area has 2 sprinklers and shade half the day which is perfect.

My husband was sweet enough to take out some dirt and level off the area.

From the Dollar Store ~ surprise!

Picked it up at Walmart for $3.38 a bag. I needed about 8 bags for an area of 10 feet x 4.5 feet.

I had gone to my local rock quarry and purchased bags that were $5.00 each of a whiter stone and mixed them in. It looks nice but it's not necessary.

Drill holes in the bottom for drainage.

They cost $20 each.

plastic whiskey barrels from Big Lots

I brought out 2 chases (not being used at the pool) and added an inexpensive table from Target.

The umbrella is from Walmart for $50. They fall apart too easily from the sun, rain and wind - so don't spend a lot.

My house sits on a 1/2 acre ~ this is just the backyard.

I tried to sell this mirror in my shop and at several estate sales. NO SALE! I love the metal piece which looks like it was made for a garden so I put it out there. The birds sit on the statue and stare at the 'bird' in the mirror. It's so funny ~ and I can watch from my kitchen window.

I get humming birds - not so much from the feeder - but from the red color inside my hibiscus flowers.

My Thai Mango tree.

This is another area I plan to add pea gravel.

This garden is made up of things that were given to me or didn't make it somewhere else.

***

The birds actually bath here.

and eat here.

We purchased for $40 at Costco ~ these solar lights. Six are by the pool in planters and I tried 2 more in this garden. They work nicely. I hope they last ~ we have a strand of solars wrapped around our 4 palms by the pool ~ looked wonderful!!! but only lasted 3-4 months and they gave out. They are wrapped and stapled. I hate to have to do it again.