The Beauty Of Landscaping Your Garden With Natural Limestone

TL:DR Dan Richards from SilverBirch Gardens examines the pros and cons of using natural limestone paving and features in landscaped gardens. The article is illustrated with  images of  his work where natural limestone takes centre stage. This blog aims to inspire your own garden makeover and help you to decide which materials will work best in your project.

Natural limestone pavers and setts were the ideal landscaping material for this traditional Somerset property

The Beauty Of Using Natural Limestone As A Landscaping Material

It’s no secret, I’m a big fan of using natural materials in a garden, whether that be timber, stone, water or plants. One of my favourite materials for landscaping a garden is natural limestone. Why?  Well, there are lots of things I like about it. The way it looks, the way it feels underfoot and the fact that it’s recyclable. Also, from a purely selfish point of view, it’s easy to work with.

 

 

Dark grey limestone setts offer an interesting texture to this outdoor terrace. The central water feature was created using local Ham Stone.

Why Choose Natural Limestone For Your Patio?

When choosing materials for a patio, there’s a lot to consider. Colour, texture, durability, stain resistance, ongoing maintenance and of course, price.

Availability

In my experience limestone is readily available from a whole range of suppliers from local businesses to nationwide organisations. As a landscaper, that’s a big plus point, it means that work is rarely delayed by long delivery lead times. 

Durability

Once installed, natural limestone is hardwearing, but its natural porosity means that it can be vulnerable to staining. I usually advise my clients to opt for pavers that have been treated with  sealant to protect against everyday marks and spillages. That way you can enjoy the beauty of natural stone with no fear of damaging it in any way.

Never boring! Combining natural limestone pavers with clay pavers creates interest and also reminds garden visitors where the edge of the step is.

Lasting Good Looks

Here in Somerset, we’re blessed with an abundance of homes and buildings that are constructed from natural stone. And from a garden design perspective, it makes perfect sense to mirror those building materials with timeless garden features that age gracefully alongside the property.

Limestone is available in a surprising number of colours, from cream and buff to all manner of shades of grey. It often sports wonderful markings and striations, and if you’re lucky, you may also spot some fossils embedded in the stone.

As well as colour, think about the size of your pavers and how you might arrange them. Limestone lends itself well to all kinds of laying patterns, particularly if there are slight colour variations in the batch.

Natural limestone pavers and steps always look reassuringly solid.

Thermal Performance

It’s probably not something you think about when choosing materials for your patio, but there’s nothing worse than stepping bare-foot onto a very hot surface. I’m not going to pretend that Limestone stays cool in hot weather, very few hard landscaping materials do. But it doesn’t seem to get quite as hot as man-made pavers. Plus, it heats up during the day and then releases that energy slowly overnight. Which can mean that your patio feels pleasantly warm on summer evenings. 

Where Else Can Limestone Be Used In A Garden?

Limestone is incredibly versatile within a garden. Steps, paths, stepping stones, swimming pool surrounds, wall cladding, coping stones, benches ….the choices are endless. You can even organise bespoke pieces for a perfect fit.

Blue Lias is a naturally occuring mash-up between limestone and slate.
It’s found predominantly in Somerset and brings oodles of character into any garden feature.

Reclaimed limestone paving slabs not only look amazing, they bring with them the feel-good factor of having saved something lovely from landfill.

 

Natural limestone is a wonderful landscaping material for traditional AND modern gardens. It’s practical, it’s durable and it retains its good looks throughout its lifespan.  If you need more inspiration for using natural stone in your landscaping project, take a look at our portfolio page.

Or better still