I am about to give my front garden a "make-over" and I intend to have a low maintenance area with a white gravel and a few interesting plants.

I have seen white dolomite available, and it would give the effect I am looking for, but would it affect the pH of the ground and cause a problem getting suitable plants?

Are there any other white aggregates I could use that are more inert?

Thanks,

Nick.

"NickC" wrote in message
...

I am about to give my front garden a "make-over" and I intend to have a
low maintenance area with a white gravel and a few interesting plants.

I have seen white dolomite available, and it would give the effect I am
looking for, but would it affect the pH of the ground and cause a
problem getting suitable plants?

Are there any other white aggregates I could use that are more inert?
Nick.


I can't address the pH question, but I have some questions for you. What
will you be planting in this white area? And, have you seen any natural
settings where the ground was white? If yes, do you recall what was growing
there?

NickC wrote:
I am about to give my front garden a "make-over" and I intend to have a
low maintenance area with a white gravel and a few interesting plants.

I have seen white dolomite available, and it would give the effect I am
looking for, but would it affect the pH of the ground and cause a
problem getting suitable plants?

Are there any other white aggregates I could use that are more inert?

Thanks,

Nick.


--
NickC
Dolomite is a rather inert form of limestone, and would require quite a
bit of acidic rain to leech. Marble is even more inert.Granite &
Quartzite (white metamorphic sandstone) are as inert as they go.

That being said, I have a marble chip pathway through a native woodland
plant garden & I am always picking voluteers from among the pebbles.

"NickC" wrote in message
...

I am about to give my front garden a "make-over" and I intend to have a
low maintenance area with a white gravel and a few interesting plants.

I have seen white dolomite available, and it would give the effect I am
looking for, but would it affect the pH of the ground and cause a
problem getting suitable plants?

Are there any other white aggregates I could use that are more inert?

Thanks,

Nick.


--
NickC

It may not to real attractive once splashed with mud or when some algae
starts to grow on it in warm weather.

On Fri, 30 Jun 2006 10:27:22 +0000, NickC
wrote:

I have seen white dolomite available, and it would give the effect I am
looking for, but would it affect the pH of the ground and cause a
problem getting suitable plants?

I use garden lime, (ground dolomite limestone.) in my pond and it
dissolves until the pH of the water reaches 7.8. Might work good to
plant some hydrangea if that area is part shade and if you like pink.
I never check the pH of my soil, but most of my hydrangea are blue
unless I toss a cup of garden lime on one during the winter, then it
turns pink.

Regards,

Hal

I have some semperviviums, a couple of grasses, and a couple of tall purple things I can't remember the name of. I may also plant an Acer there that is suffering from a bit of scorch in the back garden. (I think it will prefer the front).

The only things I can think of in a naturally white setting are snow drops, although I am sure there are alpine settings which must have largely white ground.

Thanks for all the replies. I have had a look around and I am now thinking that I might get some "cotswold buff". It is off-white and I think will fit in with the rest of the stone, concrete, etc better. (Not to mention being significantly cheaper!)

Nick.

"NickC" wrote in message
...

JoeSpareBedroom Wrote:
I can't address the pH question, but I have some questions for you.
What
will you be planting in this white area? And, have you seen any
natural
settings where the ground was white? If yes, do you recall what was
growing
there?

I have some semperviviums, a couple of grasses, and a couple of tall
purple things I can't remember the name of. I may also plant an Acer
there that is suffering from a bit of scorch in the back garden. (I
think it will prefer the front).

The only things I can think of in a naturally white setting are snow
drops, although I am sure there are alpine settings which must have
largely white ground.

Thanks for all the replies. I have had a look around and I am now
thinking that I might get some "cotswold buff". It is off-white and I
think will fit in with the rest of the stone, concrete, etc better.
(Not to mention being significantly cheaper!)

Nick.

Glad to hear that you're moving away from the idea of using white. Much of
the time, it looks tacky, ruins the entire yard, and sometimes everything as
far as the horizon, even if it doesn't belong to you.