White Dolomite as a decorative aggregate?

[NickC]

I am about to give my front garden a "make-over" and I intend to have

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 a looking for, but would it affect the pH of the ground and cause problem getting suitable plants?

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

Thanks,

Nick

-- NickC

[JoeSpareBedroom]

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?

[Seamus]

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.

[Mindful]

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

[Hal]

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

[Janet Baraclough]

The message from NickC contains these words:

I would strongly recommend that you use whatever gravel./broken stone occurs naturally nearest you. (it will also be the cheapest) . Imported gravels (and stone and rocks) never look quite right outside their natural zone.

Janet

[NickC]

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

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

Thanks for all the replies. I have had a look around and I am no thinking that I might get some "cotswold buff". It is off-white and think will fit in with the rest of the stone, concrete, etc better. (Not to mention being significantly cheaper!)

Nick

-- NickC

[JoeSpareBedroom]

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.