LOOSE GRAVEL - How to Choose & Use

Bunny explains why she loves using loose gravel in her garden designs and guides us through the dos and don'ts when it comes to deciding on the basics. Colour, size, shape, gradients and the all important laying and maintenance.
#gravel #gravelroads #gardendesign

[@KarenSmith958]

Just lay some gravel? Who'd have thought so many decisions! Glad I know this now.

[@fennecfox8623]

Another great video 😀 I feel like I’m attending a high end horticultural and design course just by watching your videos Bunny, thank you!

[@JoannaLouise200]

I love the look of gravel especially combined, as you have done in some areas Bunny, within a geometric paving design. I think it also serves as a useful and attractive natural burglar deterrent, abutting the main external walls of a house (all-round) ~ as a metre wide path. It's so complimentary to brick/stone walls and makes an alerting crunching sound if any 'ne'er-do-wells' are looking through the window and liking the look of auntie May's Ming vase!

[@ourlifeedited6441]

I also love how easily gravel can be moved or added to. Our cement patio wasn’t large enough, so I laid a 3ft wide area of gravel on one side of the patio to place buffet tables. I also planted two hornbeams in that gravel - something you couldn’t do in another surface without significant planning.

[@bunnyguinness]

Interesting point if your building is listed in the uk you often need planning permission for new paving - I feel another video in the making - planning permission with respect to gardens! Many thanks 🐇

[@ourlifeedited6441]

@@bunnyguinness can’t wait!

[@colinstreeter426]

God she’s good. And each photo is luscious.

[@wendychandler8304]

Our local contractor removed all the top soil, down to the subsoil, then laid Teram: then he put the rough chunks of limestone (don't do that!) with small limestone gravel on top. For 20 years it's all worked like a cake mix. Unlike granite, limestone wears down with rain and being trampled, it also encourages weeds to seed. The whole lot has sunk too.

[@maireadcuffe]

Thank you I was afraid of using gravel, but I think I’m going to use it for my pathways in my garden

[@OlgaCarmody]

Good video, thank you, Bunny. I always wondered how to take care of gravel and thought it is mighty difficult.

[@Holly_at_gypsyhollergardens]

Brilliant as always!!! I like the term "gentlemen's gravel" sounds much more proper ,we call it "pea gravel"😒 . I have been adding pea... no ..gentlemen's 😉 gravel everywhere the past couple of years, totally transforming and sooo low maintenance!!!

[@canadian-gardening-Zone6A]

Thank you Bunny! I have gravel. I love gravel. Oh but the weeds.. :(

[@shuvadey4294]

I came across this video searching how to keep gravel weed-free! As I was deciding whether to use it between my steppingstone slabs. This is the best video on gravel out there!! I am now hooked on your channel and look forward to your posts. Thank you very much .

[@vln4443]

Love love gravel, its all a matter of taste and preference isn't it? Some likes the modern clean look, some likes the farm/country look, give me the peace and relaxing look of the country any day! Great video!!!!

[@annecanty1227]

Beautiful surface and thanks for all the information.

[@Early100]

Very helpful, thank you 🙏🏼

[@hazelold2882]

Thank you for another fantastic video - you’re so informative and knowledgeable… watch this channel grow 🌱

[@artemisgrier8989]

I love listening & watching you talk about your garden amid its beauty, and this subject is fantastic. My husband mined limestone here in the states and he always objected to the price of gravel (relatively speaking)…so it was a special gift when he would get some for me. Please keep the videos coming, they are such a treat!

[@evelyngriggs8356]

A really comprehensive appraisal of using gravel in the domestic garden, Bunny. I have used 10mm gravel on the floor of my greenhouse. This is set into the plastic grid system. Pots look so handsome beneath the staging.

[@Rougebasque]

We just redone our parking space with beautiful gravel unfortunately our neighbour's cats love it too and are using it as their litter!

[@anmnou]

You just pointed out why I personally do not like the look of gravel...it reminds me of clay cat litter, lol! It also destroys leather on shoes (I had heeled ones) and so I just have an aversion to the whole thing.

[@marthamckeon278]

Absolutely love your videos, thanks for all you do! Adore gravel and having relocated to a much smaller property in New England in US have completely eliminated all lawn. Gravel and beds of plants, could not be happier. Use native pea stone, rather a gray color works best here, whereas you can enjoy more warmer tones of beiges and browns.

[@bunnyguinness]

Thanks. Yes agree I am infatuated with gravel too so versatile. We also use certain gravels as a safety surface in childrens play areas🐇

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

thanks

[@janspenno2241]

I have grass growing in the gravel on the drive Bunny what should I do. Spray ( or something) & Top it up with gravel or more?

[@kimfox5186]

My neighbour burns his away. It seems to work

[@stacyharrell-mathers9543]

High strength vinegar takes care of it as long as you don't put it near plants or trees.

[@kimeeegngarden4887]

Hello there...I'm such a huge fan of Bunny. I remember a video in which she described the construction of some pathways in a garden somewhere in Asia - Japan, perhaps?? Bunny showed us how she created a similar pathway outside her greenhouse or shed. I believe it was a mixture of gravel, mud and mortar?? I can't seem to find this video - does anyone remember the title of that video - or the name of the paving technique? Cheers from the States 😊

[@kgardennerd]

Is it do-able to lay gravel in a very large area yourself, or is this something you would recommend for the pros?

[@bunnyguinness]

If you already have the hardcore down it’s quite easy. I get the lorry driver to drive slowly with the back flap open and tipping the gravel out so it covers a fair area. Then you don’t spend hours carting gravel in a wheelbarrow. With safety regs some firms won’t do this though. The spreading of the base layer and compacting it is doable too, though I have only done it myself on small areas but that’s largely down to always being short of time🐇

[@dianehernandez6051]

Very informative on using gravel! However, I live in California and we put down decomposed granite (DG) pathways and a gathering area. Is this used in the UK? Any advice on using DG? Thanks!

[@bunnyguinness]

Had not heard of dg but just chatted to Michael Heap and he said in Cornwall and Devon a lot. He just said wash it first as is dusty. In uk it is usually 6mm size is that the same with you? Presumably it works well with granite paving, which I love? 🐇

[@loganbutler1016]

I have an old deteriorating flagstone patio. Would it be possible to lay gravel directly on top of this or do we need to take it up before laying gravel?

[@bunnyguinness]

No I think you have to lift it, the only gravel that would go onto it would be a resin bonded one or one stuck with colas (see my bound gravel video). But hopefully having lifted slabs you will have the hardcore base under so laying gravel on top could be easy? I would not chuck out the slabs you might find a use for the better ones later! 🐇

[@jonandsarahshaw8074]

Hi Bunny, thank you for the video. I got slightly confused by the layers. We are doing our gravel drives and landscaping at the moment. The drives have Terram and then “scalpings” which have been compressed (I believe this is equivalent to MOT Type 2). My contractor says this therefore doesn’t need another base and that anything else would cause the gravel to mix with whatever is underneath it. So is that correct and should we just put 50mm of 20mm angular gravel on top? The house is quarried cotswold stone - is there a colour or type of gravel you think works best? Btw for the paths, i we are going to go for a self binding substance like the Breedon gravel i think it was that you recommended in a video last year.

[@bunnyguinness]

It sounds like the scalping are the base layer, hopefully for light vehicular traffic they would be about 100mm compacted thickness, depending on soil type under. So then as he says I would put 50mm of 20mm angular gravel on top. I would go for a buff golden colour but get him to bring a few bags of diff samples and lay near building so you can see exactly what it will look like 🐇

[@hollyssimplelife1634]

Have you done a video on how to keep it weed and grass free?

[@hectorbrown656]

Unless I misunderstood , you did not mention anything about weeds , I have a gravel stone terrace and every year I am plagued by weeds what do you do about this problem ?

[@kathrynmettelka7216]

The gravel looks lovely. Unfortunately, it is hot in Texas and the hot surface is cruel for dogs. Gravel, stone, concrete, all retain heat, which is why cities are hotter than the country. Then too,, cties don't have enough trees, which are nature's air conditioning.

[@bunnyguinness]

Sadly we don’t have that problem here! But I notice our dogs trot along the granite sett edge to the gravel as they obviously don’t like the feel on the pads of their paws! 🐇

[@nowyouareoneofus9684]

Is walking with high heels not just a struggle just as is, period?

[@James-se4rg]

A weed mebrane is not needed?

[@bunnyguinness]

I never use these anymore as they often get exposed and are not attractive and I love seeing favourite plants increase by self seeding. Weeding I find easy in gravel, sometimes I hoe, or rake or hand pull or use glyphosate🐇