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How to Landscape With Bull Rock

Rounded flint rock, known as bull rock, ranges in sizes from 2 inches in diameter up to 5 inches in diameter. Similar to gravel, only larger, bull rock is used as a decorative rock in landscaping designs such as garden beds, pathways and edging. Bull rock helps avoid erosion of the soil and, because of this feature, is often found in drainage ditches and behind retaining walls to help divert the water from walls.

Garden Beds

Step 1

Remove wood chips and mulch from your existing garden bed. Use a rake and shovel to remove and discard the mulch or chips.

Step 2

Protect existing plants by creating windbreaks of large pieces of cardboard or place boxes over the plants. Spray weed and grass with a nonselective herbicide. Lay black plastic sheeting or cloth weed block in the garden bed and around the existing plants.

Step 3

Fill the garden with bull rock. Spread it around the existing plants and to the edges of the garden.

  • Remove wood chips and mulch from your existing garden bed.
  • Lay black plastic sheeting or cloth weed block in the garden bed and around the existing plants.

Pathways

Step 1

Remove the sod from the pathway location with a sod stripper. Roll the sod up like you would with a rug and remove it to another location in your yard.

Step 2

Dig the soil from the pathway with a shovel to a depth of about 4 to 6 inches. Check the path with a tradesman level and remove or replace the soil in lower or higher areas of the path.

Step 3

Lay plastic sheeting or cloth weed block into the pathway. Overlap each seam in the sheeting or weed block by about 4 to 6 inches.

Step 4

Install metal edging or brick pavers along the edges of the pathway or leave the edges bare. Pour a 1-inch layer of sand in the bed of the pathway. Rake the sand until it lays level in the bottom of the pathway.

  • Remove the sod from the pathway location with a sod stripper.
  • Check the path with a tradesman level and remove or replace the soil in lower or higher areas of the path.

Step 5

Lay large, flat paver stones at irregular intervals, leaving 3 or 4 inches of space between each stone. Fill the spaces between the paver stones with bull rock.

Other Bull Rock Uses

Step 1

Fill the tops of container gardens and raised flower beds with bull rocks to match the bull rocks in your garden and pathway.

Step 2

Edge the sides of your driveway with bull rock. Remove 1 foot of sod from each side of the driveway. Remove about 3 to 4 inches of soil. Lay plastic sheeting or weed block into the excavated area.

  • Lay large, flat paver stones at irregular intervals, leaving 3 or 4 inches of space between each stone.
  • Edge the sides of your driveway with bull rock.

Step 3

Fill the area next to your driveway with about 1 to 2 inches of sand. Pour bull rocks on top of the sand and spread to fill the area.

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