When it comes to landscaping, most of us aspire to have the best-looking design on the block. However, given everyone’s personal budget and the often-exorbitant prices of landscaping materials, it’s not always easy to fund such a lavish project. Fortunately, there are many ways to stretch your budget and achieve that strikingly beautiful lawn, without bleeding your wallet dry. Here in Charlotte, North Carolina, we are fortunate to have a very forgiving climate, allowing us to implement a wide variety of materials in our landscapes. Moreover, our mild climate also helps slow down the erosion of materials over time, giving our products, whether inorganic or organic, a decent lifespan. Nevertheless, whether you’re located in Charlotte, or reading this post from beyond state lines, there are definitely options available, to help achieve an exceptional landscape on a budget.
When considering which landscaping materials to use, most people have similar thoughts. While they don’t want to break the bank on materials, they also don’t want something that looks cheap and performs poorly. While organic materials like mulch, soil, and grasses, often look beautiful, they generally require more maintenance than something inorganic. This tends to alienate the people who want something that looks good but doesn’t require a lot of time and money to preserve. What then is the solution to this problem, you might ask? We recommend gravel Charlotte NC. Not only will it help you achieve that uniform and manicured look, but it won’t cost you an arm and a leg to install and maintain.
Gravel Landscaping: The Basics
While gravel landscaping is very popular in areas where organic materials tend to have trouble sustaining life due to harsh weather and/or climate conditions, gravel is a material that tends to look good in all sorts of backdrops. You can use gravel by itself, or in conjunction with other products and materials to create the Charlotte NC landscape of your dreams. As previously mentioned, here in Charlotte, we are lucky to have a mostly moderate climate, that tends to avoid extremes at either end of the spectrum. This makes gravel a great choice for homes in the area, as it will tend to hold up well over time, protecting your investment and ensuring you get the most bang for your buck.
When people think of gravel, they tend to think of it in very specific ways, like for instance, the gravel road you travel when venturing to rural destinations. Because of this, people don’t often realize that gravel is surprisingly versatile, and takes on many forms both visually and pragmatically. Gravel is popularly used in landscaping to build driveways, patios, paths, and walkways. Contrary to popular belief, gravel does come in various colors, however, its popular neutral tones are great for landscaping as they often contrast brilliantly against the vibrant greens of plants and vegetation.
Think Gravel is Boring? Think Again
As previously mentioned, people tend to underestimate gravel, in some cases, believing it to be boring and one-dimensional. In actuality? Gravel comes in multiple sizes, colors, and derivatives. Gravel can also range in its pricing, from specialty chips to river rock, you can easily find a suitable material for your design. Here at Andolina Materials, we offer budget-friendly yet sturdy selections of gravel that are ideal for striking yet sustainable results. We offer an array of options from decorative rocks to functional gravel, giving you a full spectrum of options that can be rendered in a multitude of ways. This includes multiple colors to choose from, which makes it simple to create an instant visual contrast.
Like any type of landscaping material, choosing the right gravel can sometimes be challenging. While we, at Andolina Materials, also offer free consultations to our Charlotte customers, not everyone has access to free, professional, advice. If you do, it’s definitely helpful to talk to a landscaper who has a lot of experience dealing with gravel. Are you on your own? Don’t worry! You can still come to an informed decision by assessing the characteristics of your house and property.
When it comes to choosing gravel, a good place to begin is by color-coordinating. Start by looking around and examining your property. Do you have any stone present that naturally occurs? What type of building is your house, and what colors does it feature? For example, say you live in a period or historic home. As an older part of the country, Charlotte has many of these types of houses, and something like pea gravel with lots of earthy tones (honey, brick red, brown) can make an excellent choice. Or let’s say you’re looking to surround your garden beds with gravel. If you have a garden in a place where there’s a lot of natural shade, you can opt for a paler or lighter color, ideal for reflecting light back and creating the illusion of brightness.
Even with these ideas to help you narrow down your choices, it can still be overwhelming to actually pick one. Don’t be afraid to ask your supplier questions. They can usually help lead you in the right direction for both your budget and vision. If you’re still stumped, a good place is to start by deciding your budget. When you choose a budget, that helps narrow down a lot of options, giving you the opportunity to fine-tune your search and get you closer to the ideal shade and texture.
The Many Purposes of Gravel
There are plenty of reasons that contribute to gravel’s popularity, and they stem from the fact that it is usually quite budget friendly and is used for various projects. You can buy gravel for multiple areas of your landscape, which will get you your money’s worth and keep everything looking uniform.
Gravel can be repurposed and used in many capacities including xeriscaping, patio designs, water features, Japanese-style raked gardens, and rock gardens, Pea gravel tends to be a great starting point due to its versatility of colors, and relatively easy installation. Feeling inspired? If you’re local to Charlotte, NC, we highly recommend swinging by Andolina Materials, where you’ll be met by seasoned professionals who know everything there is to know about the world of landscaping. Need a summer project? Get started with budget-friendly gravel today!
To learn more about our high-quality materials and explore our wide range of landscape supply, visit our website at https://andolinamaterials.com or give us a call today at (704) 882-1610. Andolina Materials is here to assist you with all your material needs!
