A Stone's Resonance

Local materials create the most soulful spaces

Gray hard rock covered with green soft moss.

Using stone that’s native to your region does more than ground a garden—it creates a quiet, powerful connection to place.

I have used both local and non-local stones in my landscapes and I can say definitively that local stone just feels right. I think it is because it resonates with the natural rhythm of the area (and I mean that literally). Native stone tells the story of a place in a way that nothing else can. The rugged granite of New England speaks in a different voice than Manhattan’s ancient schist or the soft limestone of Indiana’s rolling hills. Each tells its own tale—and each leaves a different impression on us.

The Gift of Granite

In my rocky area of Northeast US, there is a lot of granite - often with quartz crystal embedded in it. Granite carries a frequency that is low and steady, much like a deep drumbeat. This creates a stable, grounding presence.

Granite anchors a garden. Its enduring presence calms us. That is why rock gardens in my part of the world are so loved - they impart a feeling of solid endurance.

Gray granite rocks among the plants - photo Jan Johnsen

And did you know that placing a piece of granite under a pillow is a quiet habit that some follow?