Need advice on landscaping.

9 years ago

I've been told that we can lay a bed of rocks all around our house where the rain comes down off the roof, and let the rocks splatter the water instead of installing guttering. Then next to that, further away from the house, I can grade the land down to allow the water to drain and that's where I would do the actual landscaping, shrubs, etc. I know that it can be done, but I'm not sure how much of a grade I would need. Also, our house does not have a cellar or basement, it is on a slab. Look over my lack of shutters, and porch lights, we just finished bricking a few months ago.

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Comments (2)

littlebug zone 5 Missouri
9 years ago
Where do you live - do you get 10" or 100" of rain per year?

Not installing rain gutters where I live is penny-wise and pound-foolish.
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Yardvaark
9 years ago
with a walkway all around like you have, it's not conducive to the typical foundation planting. You could plant a small nest of something at the base of the columns, but it would seem hemmed in if you planted the open walk space. There could be larger planting areas at the corners, but it would be a mistake to plant beds enclosing all the walk.

Conventional gutters will be vastly less cumbersome than the rock mulch solution. You should grade soil to gently slope away from the house all the way around, regardless of what else you do.

Are you going to add a walk from somewhere to the front of the house? If so, you ought to solicit advice on it here before you do. I'm only saying because we see 97% of walks, on otherwise beautiful homes, are completely inferior.
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