Types of Stone Used in Brisbane Landscapes
Stones, rocks, and other hard forms help set the solid theme of your landscaped garden, and these can be influenced by certain trends, climate and geographic location. In Brisbane, a number of stones are popular for their aesthetic appeal and suitability for their location. Travertine is the most popular form of stone used; it is used as stone pavers, accent features, architectural structures such as rock walls and retaining walls, along pathways and courtyards and vertical walls.
Travertine
Travertine is a form of limestone, similar to marble, and comes in a variety of colours typically in warm tones, ranging from red, brown, gold to light shades of cream. It can be sealed and polished and have a durable finish. It is usually more porous than marble, but with sealants can be used in a variety of applications.
Travertine has a surface that is suitable for outdoor use, particularly around pools as it has a high friction surface prior to being polished and sealed. A high friction surface is suitable as a non-slip surface particularly for safety in wet areas. The second most popular stone used in landscaping in Brisbane is Bluestone.
Bluestone
Bluestone (also known as basalt) is volcanic rock, that has hardened over thousands of years, and is available in a large number of colours. Bluestone is typically blue, but has striations of blue, grey, brown, pink and red. It is chemically made up of a variety of crystals, feldspars, muscovite, chlorite and pyrite.
It is used in similar applications, as an accent feature, retainer wall material, pavers and structural stone. Random ashlar is another popular stone product being used quite considerably in Brisbane; it is a sandstone cladding product that can be used to create an authentic stone wall feel without the considerable expense.
Random ashlar feature walls are beautifully featured in a number of Brisbane landscaped gardens, and can be applied to a number of different landscaping themes. Organic steppers are used as accents in design, as they provide a more natural and softer looking line that suits less formal styles of garden such as tropical.
During a client consultation, the theme of the garden proposed will be integrated with some of the lifestyle goals of the client. The types of stone that will be installed as part of the project will suit both the style and maintenance levels required as part of the design. For something like a courtyard, or paving around a pool, careful site preparation is done by qualified landscape gardeners, and due care is given to ensuring that the work has both aesthetic appeal and longevity.
Site preparation of a paved courtyard starts with the removal of turf, and digging out of a foundation for the paved area. A sand bed will be laid down, and then a concrete base can be laid over the top, and then the stones will be placed over the concrete. The careful levelling and production of any type of stone surface requires skilled professionals in order to ensure that the job is done properly.
Stone is a very solid product, and when integrated into a landscaping plan can add form and beauty for years to come. Stones form the more permanent forms in the outdoors of a home, and the plants and softscaping around the stones and pathways and retaining walls can be changed to accommodate different needs or trends. Stones however, have a timeless appeal, so are worth investing in high quality materials and professional installation.
