Jan Cleere

If you want to spend your summers lolling around the swimming pool instead of mowing
grass and pulling weeds, put in a rock yard. Rock adds natural beauty, requires far less
care than grass and reduces your water bill enough to afford filling that pool.
Before deciding what type of rock, including size and color, best suits your yard, visit
several nurseries or rock companies for comparison. Find out what services they provide
(design, measuring, delivery, spreading, cleanup) and get an estimate of charges. A
landscaping business may undertake all aspects of rock yard creation, while a material
supply company delivers the rock and you hire subcontractors for spreading.

Or you can do it all yourself.

Calculate the square footage of your yard. Some rock companies use cubic feet as a
measuring tool while others calculate in cubic yards or tonnage but they all provide
conversion charts or will refigure from your measurements. On average, 150 to 200
square feet of rock covers one cubic yard at 1 1/2 to 2-inches of depth. Price depends
upon the size and color of rock selected but averages $26.00 to $35.00 per cubic yard.
Let your house determine rock color choice. If you have a red brick border or red tile
roof, an earth tone such as Sonoran Tan, Apache Brown or Sunset presents a soft
contrast and more natural appearance. For more dramatic results, try the red-hued
Desert Rose, Mission Red or Coral Pink. While companies assign different names for the
same rock, most will give you samples for comparison. Keep in mind that light colors like
pale grays add a reflective glare.

Most landscaping rock is granite of varying types and sizes acquired throughout the
state. Sedona rock has a definite reddish tint while granite brought in from Casa Grande
or Catalina leans toward brownish/gold shades. Color preferences vary from year to year
with earth tones now the most popular color choices. (If you remember when yards were
glued down with white rock or painted green, you are as old as I am.)
Rocks come in sizes from small decomposed granite to large river rock and boulders.
One-half to 3/4-inch screened rocks are best suited for yard landscaping. Screening
eliminates fine particles that encourage weed growth. Three-quarter-inch rock is difficult
to walk on but has a more rugged look than the finer 1/2-inch. Uniformity of rock size
presents a formal appearance while unscreened smaller stones lean toward a natural
look.

Years ago, heavy black plastic was laid to prevent weeds from sprouting in desert
landscaping. We now know this deprives plants of oxygen. If a barrier is necessary in a
particularly weed-prone area, some of the woven materials on the market today help
deter sprouting weeds. A weed deterrent spray, or pre-emergent, keeps weeds at bay for
several months. Spray a few days before delivery of your rock so the pre-emergent can
penetrate into the soil. Place cardboard or plywood at the base of existing plants to
prevent poisoning. Spraying does not mean weeds are gone forever. You will still have to
get down on all fours and pull those nasty critters that spring up after a summer rain.
Periodic spraying of a pre-emergent keeps most weeds under control.
After your rocks are delivered and you have decided to spread them yourself, use every
means possible to convince your friends and neighbors to help. I have even resorted to
bribing a group of neighborhood children with use of my swimming pool for the day and
all the hot dogs they could eat to wheelbarrow rocks into my backyard. It’s a
backbreaking chore if done alone.

Consider using more than one type of rock in your yard. A rivulet of river rock adds
diversity, or maybe flagstones or a boulder for focal points. Whatever accents you
choose, keep the majority of your yard covered with smaller rock for cost efficiency and
ease of maintenance.

Initially, a rock yard may seem like an expensive addition to your home compared to
growing grass, but with the savings in water usage and maintenance, your time is better
spent splashing around in that pool.