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Rock On! 10 Ways to Use Boulders in the Landscape

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Hardscaping 101Issue — Hardscaping 101

Rock On! 10 Ways to Use Boulders in the Landscape

October 27, 2026

Garden designers use boulders to create a focal point, punctuate a corner, define a space, add gravitas, create steps…and so much more. Here, we’ve gathered inspired examples of all the ways they can be used in an outdoor space.

1. Whimsical Seats

Photograph by Marion Brenner, courtesy of Surfacedesign, from Quick Takes With: James A. Lord and Roderick Wyllie.
Above: Photograph by Marion Brenner, courtesy of Surfacedesign, from Quick Takes With: James A. Lord and Roderick Wyllie.
Above: Photograph by Gillian Steiner for Gardenista, from Pretty in Pink: An Artist’s Dry Garden in LA’s Topanga Canyon.

2. Organic Steps

A project by architecture firm Curious Practice, with landscape design by Wattlebird Garden Designs. Photograph by Clinton Weaver.
Above: A project by architecture firm Curious Practice, with landscape design by Wattlebird Garden Designs. Photograph by Clinton Weaver.
Photograph by Justin Chung, courtesy of ORCA, from Before & After: Removing a Pool to Unlock a Garden’s Potential.
Above: Photograph by Justin Chung, courtesy of ORCA, from Before & After: Removing a Pool to Unlock a Garden’s Potential.

3. Dramatic Sculptures

Above: Photograph by Don Freeman, from Designer Visit: A Gray and Green Garden at Tiger Glen.
&#8\2\20;Rock on Top of Another Rock,&#8\2\2\1; by Peter Fischli and David Weiss, was on exhibit at the Serpentine Galleries in London from \20\13 to \20\14. Photograph by Morley von Sternberg.
Above: “Rock on Top of Another Rock,” by Peter Fischli and David Weiss, was on exhibit at the Serpentine Galleries in London from 2013 to 2014. Photograph by Morley von Sternberg.

4. Creative Stepping Stones

Boulders were cut in half to create these stepping stones. Photograph by Justin Chung, courtesy of ORCA, from Garden Visit: A Historic House by Iconic Southern California Architect Cliff May Gets the ORCA Glow-up.
Above: Boulders were cut in half to create these stepping stones. Photograph by Justin Chung, courtesy of ORCA, from Garden Visit: A Historic House by Iconic Southern California Architect Cliff May Gets the ORCA Glow-up.

5. Natural Play Structures

Above: A magnet for kids. Photograph by Trent Bell, courtesy of Whitten Architects, from Landscape Visit: The Ultimate Indoor-Outdoor House on 36 Acres in Coastal Maine.

6. Integrated Architectural Elements

Above: Photograph by Trent Bell, courtesy of Whitten Architects, from Landscape Visit: The Ultimate Indoor-Outdoor House on 36 Acres in Coastal Maine.

7. Crevice Garden Essentials

Above: Photograph by Paul Spriggs, from The Garden Decoder: What Is ‘Crevice Gardening’?

8. Ideal Bed Mates

Photograph by Caitlin Atkinson, courtesy of Fi Campbell, from Trend Alert: Rocks and Boulders in the Garden.
Above: Photograph by Caitlin Atkinson, courtesy of Fi Campbell, from Trend Alert: Rocks and Boulders in the Garden.
Above: Photograph courtesy of Supernature, from Before & After: Should It Stay or Should It Go? In Praise of Inherited Plants (And Soil, And Concrete).

9. Beautiful Bird Baths

Above: Photograph by Kendra Wilson, from Sneak Peek: Charmed by the 2016 Chelsea Flower Show.

10. Campground-inspired Fire Pits

Photograph courtesy of Fi Campbell, from Before & After: Fi Campbell’s Low-Cost, No-Fuss Garden for Her Daughter.
Above: Photograph courtesy of Fi Campbell, from Before & After: Fi Campbell’s Low-Cost, No-Fuss Garden for Her Daughter.
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