The Benefits of

Landscaping with
Crushed Stone
Instead of Mulch

By Ronald J. Pawley
A skilled gardener, Ronald J. Pawley installed a four-tier
waterfall with a 38-foot creek bed in his back yard garden
that flows into a koi pond. Ronald J. Pawley planted
perennials and annuals to complement the water feature
and chose to replace the traditional black mulch with
firelite stone. Mulch is frequently used in gardens to
regulate both moisture and temperature in the soil. Mulch
helps gardens retain the appropriate amount of moisture
while removing any excess. During the night hours, mulch
also dispenses heat that protects plant roots from
temperature variations.
However, mulch is an organic material that naturally
breaks down over time. As a result, gardeners must
repeatedly re-mulch gardens to keep their plants
protected. Crushed stones like firelite offer many of the
same advantages as mulch. Since stone does not rot or

decompose over time, the time and expense involved in

frequent mulching is eliminated. Also, crushed stone tends
not to scatter during heavy winds because of its weight,
and it does not attract insects and other pests like plantbased mulch does.