The Simplest Stone Accent

Stone Sculptures, and Rocks Themselves, Anchor a Garden

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A carved stone leaf lies in a stream in Chanticleer in Wayne, Pa. The leaf was carved by California sculptor, Marcia Donahue, in 1999. It has developed a moss patina, giving it an aged appearance. It is a subtle and beautiful stone accent for a waterside landscape.

As a college student living in Kyoto, Japan, I marveled at how artisans shaped natural stone into elegant and simple garden features. From those beginnings, I developed a true appreciation for stone accents and how they can unify a design without detracting from the overall space. These artful additions do not have to be large to be effective–a stone accent of any type can add interest and express your personality or sense of humor. Imagine a stone frog greeting you from atop a small rock at an entry gate. Or a stone mushroom covered with lichen set in a plant bed to make you pause.

And best of all, a stone accent is maintenance-free. Unlike other garden art, stone can withstand all sorts of weather conditions. And it only gets better with age because, as a stone accent becomes covered with lichen or moss, it imparts a quiet depth to a scene. So consider adding a stone accent to your garden. The choice is yours. It should be something that delights you, such as a small boulder in a plant bed, a stone bowl of fruit atop a wall or a stone bridge spanning a dry stream. You can even paint a rock, if you choose.

The Simplest Stone Accent

One of my favorite activities is washing off a partially covered rock outcrop using a directed spray nozzle on the hose. I enjoy watching the water reveal hidden fissures from under a thin covering of soil. We uncovered this beauty years ago and it is now a mossy feature!

The easiest stone accent you can have is to show off a large rock or outcrop that is al-ready be in your garden. You can expose it by removing any soil that covers it. Use tools to dislodge the soil (I have even used screwdrivers to get in the crevices) then wash it off and let the rock’s unique texture and shape shine forth. I have done this many times and I love it because it is something like a rocky treasure hunt.

We cleaned this off and planted around it - how stately the rocks appear!

The next easiest thing to do is to find a rock you like and set it in your landscape. This, too, can be fun. Looking for that particular rock may entail hiking into the woods, going to a river or simply going to a stone yard. You may become a rock hound, which normally means people who search out fossils and gemstones, but I like to think of it as people who appreciate rocks for their inherent beauty. Once you find your special rock you can set it as an accent or maybe place an assortment of stones for maximum effect.

Lava rocks are set under a tree and are growing alongside Fortune’s Holly fern (Cyrtomium fortunei). The rocks in the plant bed draw the eye down to the ground and also prevent lawn mowers from getting to close to the tree trunk.

A Group of Natural Stones as an Accent

Look to Nature for guidance when setting a group of stones. Large rocks are often found in the wild surrounded by others of the same stone type but with diverse shapes and markings. You can follow this example when arranging stones as a feature in your garden —make it resemble a rock outcropping by situating a large stone or boulder ac-companied by smaller-sized stones around it. These are called "helping stones" in Japanese gardening. I like that term.

Find the Face

Also study the shape of the boulder to determine which side or ‘face’ should be visible. It is a matter of taste and what appeals to you, there is no ‘correct’ way to place a natural stone accent.

Nest a Rock

You plant a rock just as you plant a shrub. In Japanese gardens, this process is referred to as “nesting.” Dig a shallow hole and place the rock partially into the earth and surround it with low plants so that it appears to be arising from the surrounding greenery. A rock placed in a sea of low-growing Mondo grass makes an outstanding accents for a landscape.

Isamu Noguchi, the Japanese American 20th century artist explained it this way, “In Japan, the rocks in a garden are so planted as to suggest a protuberance from the primordial mass below. Every rock gains enormous weight, and that is why the whole garden may be said to be a sculpture, whose roots are joined way below.”

‘Nesting’ or planting a rock partially into the earth is a technique used in Japanese gardens to make a stone appear as if it is rising up from within plants or gravel. In other words, planting a rock anchors the garden visually and symbolically. You can nest rocks by patios, near an entrance, or around pools as special accents. Nesting a rock is also a good way to hide irrigation boxes and sprinkler heads!

Natural Rock Art Outdoors

Simple rock sculptures, show off natural striations and shapes, convey the quiet beau-ty of stone. The rustic look of natural rock can fit within any outdoor setting.

Strangely shaped rocks were carefully placed, leaning against each other, to create a natural rock wall. The unusual arrangement makes it artful as well as functional. This is at Innisfree in Millbrook, NY.

Olafur Eliasson, an Icelandic artist, works with large boulders and rocks as part of his art. At Bard College in Annandale on Hudson, NY, Eliasson created an artwork in 2009 known as, ‘The Parliament of Reality’. Part of it is a 100-ft. diameter man-made island paved with blue-stone in a pattern based upon meridian lines and navigational charts. 30 river-washed boulders are set to act as an outdoor seating area for people to gather. The project is inspired by the Althingi, or Icelandic Parliament, the oldest national democratic institution in the world.

Olafur Eliasson placed 30 boulders in his art piece in Annandale-on-Hudson. They are on an island that you can access through a covered walk. Open to the public—it is located on the north end of Bard College campus.

Small Stones Are Enticing

The opposite of large stone installations is small stones in piles or filling in areas. Small rounded stones are especially appealing due to their texture. This enhances a landscape due to the sense of touch. We value a stone’s natural feel and look for those that are smooth with attractive surfaces or rough with dramatic markings. If you think about it, the presence of textural highlights such as moss and wind or water ero-sion marks are even more intriguing if you reach out and touch it.

Small stones, rounded by the action of water, are irresistible—we love to touch them, play with them and stack them. The solid, rounded form is comforting in our hand. I suggest you have a few rounded rocks just sitting around your garden and see if people pick them up...I bet they will.

I have so much to share about stone accents…’Nest’ a rock in a plant bed and see how it makes it all the more interesting!