Surprising Benefits of Adding Gravel to Your Garden

Gravel is a budget-friendly, low-maintenance and versatile material that will meet your many different landscaping, paving, drainage or gardening needs. You can find a wide variety of top-quality gravels at our Green Landscape Supply locations in Norcross and Buford, or we can deliver to you as long as you live within 20 miles of our offices.

Gravel comes in different sizes, shades, textures and shapes, all of which can improve the appearance of an area, but gravel offers so much more than just aesthetics. Here are some surprising benefits of adding gravel to your garden.

Keeps Snails and Slugs Away

Gravel will deter pests, including snails and slugs. Snails and slugs are notorious for chewing away at crops and blooms. However, the hungry gastropods don’t enjoy crawling over the sharp edges of gravel, as it cuts their soft bodies.

Reduces Water Loss

Gravel absorbs the sun’s heat and keeps the soil cooler and moist, preventing root balls from drying out and reducing the drying out of the topsoil. As a result, water loss is significantly reduced through evaporation and your flowers or crops can bloom without continuous watering – thus, lowering your water bills.

Improves Drainage

Gravel improves the drainage of your property. Adding a layer of gravel along your driveway, around drain spouts or by your patio can absorb stagnant water to:

• Prevent it from becoming a breeding ground for mosquitos
• Fix a muddy property line
• Reduce slip-and-fall hazards
• Protect your driveway from erosion

However, when water accumulation is more severe, the situation calls for more than a layer of gravel. In this case, a slightly sloped French drain is an ideal solution. A French drain is a trench loaded with gravel that guides water away from an area where it collects and directs it toward a more appropriate location.

In addition, when filling a deep bed, adding a layer of gravel to the bottom under the dirt allows the water to flow more quickly through the soil, preventing it from accumulating at the plants’ root system.

Low Maintenance

Gravel lasts for a long time. It does not encourage or support mold growth, nor does it require special cleaning or replacement. Whether you want gravel for drainage, your garden, a driveway or a walkway, our landscaping experts can help you decide how much and what type of gravel your project needs.

Call Green Landscape Supply today for all your gravel and landscaping needs.