Pea Gravel Landscaping: Everything You Need To Know

Imagine you stroll into your backyard, and beneath your feet, you feel the satisfying crunch of tiny, round stones. You look down and see a carpet of smooth, colorful pebbles expertly laid out to create a stunning hardscape feature. Meet pea gravel, the unsung hero of landscaping. This humble material may be small in size, but it packs a big punch when it comes to transforming outdoor spaces. Pea gravel landscaping can help you add beauty and character to your property at an affordable price.

What Is Pea Gravel?

Pea gravel is a small, rounded stone popular for landscaping projects. It usually ranges from 0.25 to 0.5 inches in size and often comes from natural stones, like limestone, granite, or basalt, varying from shades of gray to brown, white, beige, or rust.

If you decide to move forward with landscaping with pea gravel, you’ll have plenty of sizes and colors to choose from to create a hardscape feature like no other.

Benefits of Pea Gravel Landscaping

Why do so many homeowners and property managers choose landscaping with pea gravel? This charming and versatile rock offers many great design options. It can even help protect your home and property.

Highly Versatile

Pea gravel can be used in a wide range of landscaping projects. You can use it to create a gorgeous patio, a serene walkway, or a cozy fire pit. It is also a great choice for decorative mulch in garden beds or can even work as a weed-suppressing layer beneath larger rocks.

Excellent Drainage

One of the most significant benefits of pea gravel landscaping is its excellent drainage properties. The small, rounded stones allow water to pass through easily, preventing puddles and moisture buildup that can damage your plants, foundation, or other structures on your property. This makes pea gravel an ideal choice for areas of your land prone to poor drainage.

Great Affordability

Compared to other landscaping materials, like concrete or natural stone, pea gravel is a low-cost option. You can also readily find it in bulk quantities at most landscape supply and home improvement stores.

Low Maintenance

Pea gravel needs minimal maintenance, making it ideal for busy homeowners or property managers who want to keep landscaping costs low. Unlike a lawn or planted areas, pea gravel doesn’t need regular watering, mowing, or fertilizing.

How to Landscape with Pea Gravel

While savvy DIY homeowners may be able to handle smaller pea gravel landscaping projects on their own, we recommend hiring a professional landscaping company to help with larger or more complex hardscape projects. To get the best results, it helps to have both the right equipment and the expertise to make your projects shine.

1. Decide where you want to use pea gravel and remove any existing grass, weeds, or debris from the area.
2. Excavate the area to a depth of three to four inches for paths or six to eight inches for patios or driveways.
3. Tamp down the excavated soil using a plate compactor or hand tamper to create a stable base.
4. Lay a high-quality, permeable weed barrier over the prepared base to prevent weed growth and gravel migration.
5. Install edging materials like bricks, stones, or metal along the perimeter of the area to contain the pea gravel (optional).
6. Pour the pea gravel over the weed barrier. You can use a rake to spread the gravel evenly or a plate compactor or hand tamper to lightly compact it for a stable, even surface.

Pea Gravel Backyard Ideas

While pea gravel can work well for driveways and mulch beds in your front yard, it’s the backyard where your hardscape projects can really sparkle. Your backyard is your own personal escape where you can create a warm and intimate atmosphere for you, your family, and your friends to enjoy.

Pea Gravel Pathways

One of the simplest and cost-effective pea gravel backyard ideas is to design functional and charming pathways. Pea gravel provides a satisfying crunch underfoot and a soft, natural look that complements any landscape style. You can also add large, natural stepping stones on the pea gravel to create a more stable walking experience.

Pea Gravel Patios

Outdoor patios add so much functionality (and value) to a home but can be expensive to install. Using pea gravel, you can design a low-maintenance, budget-friendly patio. Because pea gravel offers such good drainage, it’s also a great choice for patios in low-lying or poorly draining parts of your yard.

Pea Gravel Fire Pit

If you’ve always dreamed of adding a fire pit to your property but don’t want the cost and hassle of putting in a concrete or stone slab, pea gravel can be a great option. With a little prep, you can fill the area with colorful pea gravel and place your preferred fire pit on it. Add some Adirondack chairs, cozy blankets, and s’mores ingredients, and you’ve got the makings for a treasured outdoor hangout spot.

How to Maintain Your Pea Gravel Landscape

As we mentioned, one of the big benefits of landscaping with pea gravel is that it doesn’t require a whole lot of maintenance. Of course, any time you landscape with rocks, a little upkeep will go a long way toward keeping your landscape features looking their best.

• Rake: Regularly rake your pea gravel to keep the surface even and prevent low spots and divots from forming.
• Weed: Though pea gravel helps suppress weeds, those stubborn plants can still occasionally sprout to the surface. Remove any weeds that appear as soon as possible.
• Replenish: Add a fresh layer every three or four years to keep the depth and coverage consistent.
• Clean: Over time, foot traffic, weather, and debris can dirty your pea gravel. Give it a good clean with a pressure washer or stiff-bristled brush and a mild dish soap and water solution. Rinse the area thoroughly after cleaning to remove any soap residue.

Transform Your Backyard with Pea Gravel Landscaping

Beautiful, low-maintenance, and easy on the wallet — pea gravel is a triple threat. Whether you’re planning on putting down new walkways through your garden, want to add a patio to your property, or dream of a cozy fire pit, pea gravel landscaping can be the right answer for all of the above.

If you don’t have an excavator or plate compactor handy, it may be best to work with an experienced landscaping company on your pea gravel project. The Grounds Guys® are here to assist.

We know how to plan, install, and maintain hardscapes so your outdoor property is truly one-of-a-kind. We are proud to offer commercial and residential landscape design services throughout the United States. We can also take over your lawn and landscape care so you can sit back on your new pea gravel patio, relax, and enjoy your land.

Request a free estimate today.

This article is intended for general guidance only and may not be applicable to every situation. You are responsible for determining the proper course of action for your property and your situation. The Grounds Guys is not responsible for any damages that occur as a result of any advice or guidance derived from blog content. For the most accurate guidance, contact an independently owned and operated The Grounds Guys for more information and a professional on-site assessment.