Hello , I have landscaped an open area of about 70 square meters in front of our house. We are north facing on the north side of a tall hill which is heavily forested with tall ash trees. From mid Oct. to mid March that patch gets no sun. I had settled on a Thames flint which is light in colour but will not grow algae on its surface. Now my supplier tells me the quarry has closed and that product is no no longer available. Dorset flint is much too orange in colour to match the stone of the cottage and the stone in the walls and terracing adjacent to the area. Can anyone suggest a method of choosing a gravel which will not grow algae ? There is a light granite available...thinking that might be ok. Also a light Yorkshire product which appears to be a mix of flint and something else which no one can identify. The use of different names across the country for similar products does not help. The supplier tells me that each quarry has staff who can quote characteristics relative to the main uses of their products, which are largely road building, but seem to know nothing about this market which is for their by- products. That seems likely, but is of no help to me. There are few folk in a similar position to ourselves in this area where the requirements might be the same.
Any observations/tips/pointers/ links would be greatly appreciated.
David Gilliland, Clevedon, near Bristol, North Somerset.