Open or voided areas within a defined landscape area shall be covered with inorganic ground covers, including, but not limited to: decomposed granite, crushed rock, cobbles, boulders and mulch. Bare earth shall not be permitted (unless grandfathered per Section 21.90.30 as mentioned above). A minimum of two different textures of inorganic ground covers shall be required within defined landscape areas.
The images below demonstrate the new landscape standards applied to a 3,000 sq. ft. residential landscape area.
Types of Inorganic Ground Cover
- Landscape rocks and stones: Great addition to any desert landscape project, and are commonly used for putting up retaining walls, decorating water features, creating paths, streambeds or as stepping stones. They come in a variety of types, shapes, color and sizes, which helps create visual patterns and focal points to compliment the overall landscape design.
- Decomposed Granite: A great foundation for landscaping beds or pathways, decomposed granite (DG) is made up of very fine granules of crushed granite, enduring weathering over time and coming in a variety of colors.
- Crushed Granite Gravel: Similar to decomposed granite but is slightly larger and chunkier overall. The colors are similar, coming in various shades of red and beige, but are slightly more upscale. Crushed granite gravel is commonly used as a liner for drainage areas or on walkways, driveways, and patios.
- Mexican Beach Pebbles: These rocks are very smooth, small and rounded and look almost polished. They may be uniform in color or have a variation between them. These rocks are hand-picked from beaches and tropical coastlines and sorted for uniformity.
- Pea Gravel: Similar to beach pebbles, these small pea-sized pieces of gravel come in a range of sizes (up to 2cms) and colors including white, tan and brown. Commonly used in place of mulch in garden beds or to fill out any crevices in your pathway.
- River Rocks: Smoother and larger in size than pea gravel with rounded edges that have been worn down into a smooth surface due to water running over them for many years. Commonly used for creating dry creek features or accenting garden areas.
- Boulders: These are large landscaping rocks that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They are great for creating impactful landscaping features and focal points in your garden.
- Crushed Limestone: Available in different sizes, styles and shades, from light to pale grey to dark grey colors. Due to its versatility, availability, affordability and attractiveness, it has become one of the go-to materials for landscaping. The natural coloration of limestone gives off a beautiful curb appeal and is used as a loose-fill in paths and patios.
- Stone Dust: It is a byproduct of crushed stone and a coarser version of sand. Homeowners widely use it in small outdoor projects or as a material below patios and pavers. Stone dust can be smoothed down to create a strong surface to support the weight of pavers or for filling empty spaces.
- Rock Mulch: A decorative style of rock with various styles, sizes, colors and textures. Compared to other mulch, it can last upwards of 15 years without maintenance. Rock mulch is great for drainages and in landscaping beds, gardens and pathways.
- Riprap Stone: Comes in several sizes ranging from 6 to 30 inches in diameter. They also vary in shape as they can include a variety of stones, including trap rock, limestone, granite and many more. It is less decorative than other stones and more uniform in color. It has a very natural appearance that works well in many landscapes.
- Bull Rock: A recycled material that comes in various shades of brown and ranges from three to five inches in size. The pieces are large and rough and are more rounded in appearance than riprap. It creates a rugged and natural-looking bed and landscape when used as filler and in conjunction with other rocks.
- Lava Rock: An igneous rock formed from cooled volcanic lava. It is a type of foamed obsidian and has a mixture of textures from glassy to rough. It is porous and durable, making it good for drainage and mulching. Lava rock is a more permanent solution to mulching.
