Versatile, attractive, and customizable, natural aggregate can be the perfect choice for exterior landscaping. These beautiful aggregates work well for pools, decks, and other outdoor living landscaping ideas. Let these lovely stones inspire your next outdoor design project.
Best Aggregates for Natural Pool Design
Mexican beach pebbles
A lovely poolside choice, Mexican beach pebbles are modern yet vibrant. These pebbles have soft, tumbled edges and a uniform grey-black color. When you want to create a pleasing pool atmosphere that draws from the tranquility of spas and Zen gardens, these stones are an excellent design option.
River rock
Larger than pebbles and gravel, river rock is a dramatic option for pool landscaping stones. These large rocks are at least 1 inch wide, while they can range up to 4 inches in width, and come in varying hues of grey, white, and tan. These big stones allow you to create an attractive landscape, work well to set off trees, shrubs, and pool plants, and can help to blend your pool into a rocky or mountain landscape. By varying the size of river rock used, you can create your own realistic Arizona dry creek bed.
River rock chips
If you like the natural look and feel of river rock, but want a smaller stone that is easier to walk on barefoot, try river rock chips. These have the same naturally rounded edges and neutral tones as river rock, but are less than 1 inch wide. River rock chips can also be blended with river rock to create a dramatic and rustic exterior landscape.
Polished stone
With a unique natural shine, polished stone stands out in the Arizona landscape and can be an attractive and unusual choice for pool decking. This stone comes in dark hues of brown, purple, pink, and grey and is approximately 1/2 to 1 inch in width. It offers a dose of color that can help blend your pool in with the earth tones and desert plants.
Pea gravel
Pea gravel excellently fills small areas in exterior landscapes and plant beds. It gets its name from the uniform size of the gravel stones. This material makes a nice filler when you are landscaping with larger pavers and want something low maintenance to fill in gaps between paver stones. This aggregate also comes in a broad range of colors, so you can match existing pool landscaping. Note, pea gravel can travel from its original placement with heavy foot traffic, so this might not be the cleanest option for family homes.
Crushed marble
Crushed marble or marble chips add instant elegance and refinement to your exterior landscape. While available in a range of colors, pure white marble can really stand out in the Arizona heat and is the perfect choice when you want to make your poolside decking a luxurious place to rest. Crushed marble comes in a few different sizes, so you can choose a smaller or larger aggregate to meet your needs.
Sandstone and quartzite aggregate
Small pebbles of sandstone and quartzite can transform the pool area into a pleasing rustic environment. This aggregate works well when you want to evoke the beauty of the natural setting and prefer to use tones of taupe, brown, beige, and pale grey. Look for a naturally rounded or polished aggregate to accommodate bare feet in the pool environment; stones with sharp edges can be painful to step on.
Not only is natural stone a beautiful 2015 pool trend, it is designed to withstand heavy use and extreme weather. Investing in this stone for your exterior pool landscaping will improve the look and feel of your home for decades to come, while maintaining a safe swimming environment.