Some homeowners prefer low-maintenance landscape features because they want to spend as little time as possible on yard chores. You can incorporate natural stone into areas of your yard to transform it into something more manageable. Natural stone is a durable, rustic, and beautiful choice for many landscaping elements.

If you would rather relax or play more than mow or weed to maintain your landscaping, consider a few changes or additions to your own yard. Take a look at these three low-maintenance landscape ideas that utilize natural stone.

1. Create a Paved Outdoor Living Space

You can replace a sizeable chunk of your yard with paving to create an outdoor living space. Even if you only allocate a small portion of your grassy yard for paving, less turf means you water, weed, mow, and fertilize less.

Paved surfaces are very low-maintenance and only need occasional sweeping to keep them neat and attractive. A well-built foundation of crushed stone or gravel means fewer weeds can appear between cracks, which lessens the need for frequent removal.

A variety of paving options like flagstone, fieldstone, brick pavers, or slate tiles allow you to create a different feel to an outdoor space. For example, flagstone or fieldstone are irregular in shape and size, perfect for an informal seating space around a fire pit. Pavers are more similar in size and shape, which fit together better for a uniform, formal space like a patio or terrace.

As a bonus, consider a new outdoor kitchen with a built-on barbeque clad in stone veneer. The natural look of stone is very upscale and durable enough to withstand the elements year round.

2. Establish Stone Pathways

Another attractive, easy way to replace high-maintenance grass is to establish stone pathways throughout your yard. Natural stone pavers instantly become helpful walkways for high-traffic areas between your home, detached garages, sheds, terraces, and garden beds where grass used to grow by the inch and die by the foot.

Paved pathways are also a better replacement for existing mulch or gravel paths that require raking and weeding to look striking. Stone walkways do not need replenishing or refreshing like mulch and gravel. Paving stones are also durable enough to withstand show removal in the winter and won't wash away during the next rainstorm.

3. Convert to Xeriscape

Homeowners might shy away from xeriscape because they believe this type of landscape appears dry, boring, or sparse. However, you do not need to live in triple-digit, extremely low rainfall areas to practice xeriscape. In fact, you can opt for these landscape practices when you want to enjoy a low-maintenance yard.

Xeriscape is simply a landscape practice that reduces or eliminates the need for irrigation. The best way to move away from irrigation is to go completely native and use only those plants and trees that feel right at home in the Truckee area. Surprisingly, many colorful plants and beautiful trees thrive in this climate like Pacific bleeding heart, Sierra tiger lily, incense cedar, and redosier dogwood.

Then, add natural stone to your new space to provide texture, dimension, and interest. Separate spaces within your xeriscaping with natural boulders of varying size and color. Add a large rustic stone as a focal point among blooming lavender plants.

Natural stone is sure to make your landscape appear more dramatic and less labor-intensive. Not sure what stone colors and styles are right for your low-maintenance landscaping ideas? Visit The Rock Garden, and view our gallery of natural stone product options. We can help you find the right inspiration and ideas for pathways, outdoor paved spaces, and xeriscape rock gardens.