Permanent Ground Cover & Erosion Control
Tired of refreshing your mulch every single spring? Rock installation provides a permanent, high-end look that never fades, decomposes, or washes away in a Minnesota thunderstorm. At Freshwater Landscaping, we specialize in professional stone installation—ensuring proper ground prep and commercial-grade weed barriers are in place so your investment stays beautiful for a decade or more.
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While wood mulch is great for soil health, rock is the king of durability and low maintenance. It’s the perfect choice for high-traffic areas, steep slopes, and around your home's foundation.
The secret to a long-lasting rock bed isn't the rock—it's what's underneath it. We don't take shortcuts on prep work.
We source a variety of locally available stones to match your home's aesthetic:
Add some life to your rock beds with drought-tolerant shrubs and grasses.
Learn More →Delivering and installing decorative stone in:
No weed barrier is 100% foolproof, but we use high-quality commercial fabric that blocks most growth from below. Over time, windblown dirt may settle between rocks and sprout weeds, but these are easily pulled or sprayed.
Upfront, yes. Rock typically costs 2-4 times more than mulch due to the material cost and the labor of moving heavy stone. However, because you don't have to replace it every year, it usually pays for itself in 3-4 years.
For most decorative stones (1.5" size), we recommend a depth of 3 inches. This ensures the landscape fabric is completely covered and stays hidden even if the rocks shift slightly.
Stone does retain more heat than wood mulch. For this reason, we recommend using drought-tolerant or "heat-loving" plants in rock beds rather than delicate flowers that prefer cool, moist soil.
We don't recommend it. Putting rock over old mulch leads to the mulch decomposing underneath, which creates a nutrient-rich "mud" that weeds love. We always recommend removing the old mulch first for a clean installation.
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