As garden designers we should be at the forefront of trying to create more sustainable, climate conscious gardens for our clients.
One of the the ways that I'm trying to achieve this is to encourage clients to embrace gravel as a multi purpose surface, as opposed to paving which can be more detrimental to the environment.
Whilst gravel may take a bit more work to maintain it has the following advantages which I think make it a great choice for many gardens.
Permeable - A gravel surface will allows rain water to sink into the ground, making it a great SUDs compliant surface which can withstand our increased rainfall. It also means that you don't have to install additional (and sometimes costly) drainage systems.
2. Versitility - You can plant into gravel, creating more unstructured planting areas or you can mix gravel with paved areas or larger stones creating paths, seating areas or just visual interest within the garden, as seen in these examples of mixed gravel/paving.
3. Cost effective - Gravel surfaces are one of the most cost effective ways of coving a large ground area. Gravel stabilisation systems are available to limit migration and there are many different colours and mixes available.
So, when you're considering redesigning your garden, I encourage you to consider gravel as an element.