When creating a new look for your home, it is important to get your outside space right. This can make a big difference to the property's curb appeal and can change the experience of living there. But should you use grass to create a traditional lawn, or should you use gravel for a more modern look? Which is likely to create the best visual effect? Which is most practical?
Largely, this depends on your location. In a desert climate, a lawn can require a lot of irrigation to keep it looking good, using up local resources. However, you can mitigate this to an extent by choosing the right type of grass. In areas that experience tornadoes and high winds, gravel can be a poor choice as wind can blow it around, possibly damaging your house or car. The important thing is to make the right choice for your particular circumstances.
Your Yard Can Look Awesome
No matter what material you select, your yard is going to want your attention. Do not pick gravel because you think it requires no care. That simply is not the case. Course gravel will last a little longer, as smaller gravels tend to get shifted around and lost easily. You will have to put additional gravel in place from time to time. There is also the work of picking up gravel from places it ends up where you did not originally put it.
Another aspect to maintaining gravel that many people have misconceptions about is that weeds are easier to do with in gravel. The disadvantage with gravel is that you can not just run the lawn mower over it. Instead, the weed will have to be removed by hand or doused with a chemical weed killer. If you place your gravel on top of a weed cloth, this will greatly reduce the amount of weeds that you end up with. Choose a cloth rather than plastic, because plastic does not drain well. If a weed does pop up, you will want to continue to apply weed killer to the area so that you do not end up with more than one weed showing up in that spot.
Your Yard Usage Matters
Think about how you intend to use your yard. Do you have pets that need grass, or children that might get hurt if they take a tumble on gravel? It is difficult to play sports on gravel as well. If you have a spot where people tend to walk, however, gravel is great at holding up under a large volume of traffic. You will not have to worry about your gravel getting muddy when wet or dusty in summer, and it can also be used to make extra parking if you need that as well.
Think about the look of your home and neighborhood as well. What is the best option for your area? What will look best in regards to your home and the homes around it? Once you have the gravel or grass put in, it will be expensive to change, so make sure you are positive that you know what you want!
