Rocks are making a major comeback when it comes to landscaping. They can be seen as a substitute for mulch, filler for a fire pit, and decorative hardscaping. This frequent use of river rocks inspired me to comprise a list of some of my favorite ways to use decorative rocks in your garden.

Laura Ashley Pebble Rock Planter

Rock Covered Planters

A rock covered planter is a great way to pay tribute to nature while displaying your favorite real or artificial outdoor plants. You could always make one yourself by gluing rocks to the outside of an existing planter using a strong adhesive. Of course, if you want to save major amounts of time, this Laura Ashley planter has already done the hard work for you.

Plant Markers

A simple set of river rocks can be transformed into helpful plant markers with little more than a paint pen. First, write down which plants you have in your garden and count out one rock for each of those plants. You want each rock to be large enough to easily write the name of the plant on there. Writing that name is easy when you choose a permanent paint marker from the local craft store.

You can show your fun side by choosing bright colors and painting them vibrantly or you can go more subdued with a plain white paint pen. Once the paint has dried, place the rock next to the corresponding plant and never confuse your basil and mint again.

A Trail Through Your Travels

I have a family friend that has been collecting rocks for years. Every time they go on a trip to a new place they bring back a single rock from that location. Then they write the location on the front of the rock and the year on the back. They then place those rocks alongside the sidewalk that leads up to their front door. Every time they come home they are reminded of all the great times they spent together as a family. This is a really inexpensive way to start a collection that is all about your travels.

Revamp a Welcome Mat

Simple black welcome mats are readily available at your local big box store but there is nothing really exciting about them. Really, their main benefit is that they are inexpensive. But, when you combine one of these dime-a-dozen mats with a bag of river rocks, you can get a beautiful and textural welcome mat that everyone will admire.

Get a super strong adhesive at your local hardware store, open your bag of rocks, and rinse them off really well, making sure that they are dry when you are done. Place a generous dollop of glue on the bottom of the rock and place it down on the mat. Continue doing this, placing the rocks as close to one another as possible, until the entire welcome mat is covered. Once the glue is dry place the mat by the front door or back door and enjoy your decorative rock mat.