How HGTV's Property Brothers Boost Curb Appeal With Garden Gravel

If you've watched "Property Brothers" on HGTV, you know how much the twin designers value curb appeal to help increase a home's value. "There's no point in renovating the inside of a house to the nines if buyers are going to drive right by it because the exterior is an eyesore," said Jonathan Scott on HGTV's YouTube channel. The Scott brothers have one easy way to boost curb appeal — use garden gravel and stone contouring to give your home's landscaping an instant makeover.

There are many ideas for landscaping with gravel and rock. Scott says using rocks or stones as inorganic mulch and pairing them with low-maintenance native plants can be one of the easiest ways to increase curb appeal. "Most buyers don't like yard work, so using these rocks and low maintenance plants is perfect," he said. Landscaping rocks or garden gravel can add texture and color that many buyers love, all while requiring less upkeep than mulch or other landscape fillers.

Keeping landscaping neat and tidy should be any property owner's priority, Scott says. Landscaping stones and garden gravel help you do this by preventing weeds, improving drainage, and even preventing soil erosion. Garden gravel, when used with drought-resistant plants, creates landscaping that requires less water as well. As a bonus, rocks don't break down or compost like organic mulch does, so they need to be replaced less often. Even better, it's easy to install your own garden gravel or landscaping rocks. 

When replacing traditional mulch with garden gravel, think about the kind you want first. There are many types of landscaping stone, which come in several colors and textures from red lava rock to white marble chips. In Season 5, Episode 4 of "Celebrity IOU," Jonathan and Drew Scott chose a smooth gray garden gravel that's gentle on bare feet for a backyard landscaping makeover.

Once you pick your gravel, installing landscaping rock is easy. The first step is laying down a layer of plastic tarp or landscaping fabric with holes cut out of it for plants, tress or shrubs. This will help you stop weeds from taking over your gravel. The next step is to distribute bags of rock across your flower bed. Cut open the bags where they lie and dump the rocks. You can spread them out with your hands or a metal rake. 

After you're done, give the rocks a rinse with a garden hose to help them gleam. If you're looking for a more dramatic look, add in a boulder or large rock for a focal point. When thinking about the perfect plants, aim for low-maintenance shrubs like boxwood or hardy prairie grass like prairie dropseed. And whatever you do, keep everything well trimmed and keep up the appearances of your exterior, especially if you intend to sell your house. Use garden gravel or rock contouring to keep your yard looking great with minimum effort. It's an easy way to improve your curb appeal.