Black stones/pebbles for garden

gabyjane

We bought some black stones

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=10797518&fh_view_size=10&fh_location=%2f%2fcatal!!!1%2fen_GB&fh_search=black+cobbles&fh_eds=%c3%9f&fh_refview=search&ts=1270068337784&isSearch=true

look black on the bag..say black but looking in the book worried me a bit so we have dug a couple out and washed..look terrible so going back!

Any ideas of good places to get them?

Thanks

Davesnave

Black stones are pretty hard to find and B&Q have covered themselves by describing these as 'black, grey.'

All stones look darker when wet. One way to make them permanently wet is to varnish them, and another is to use a fountain. The darkest easily available stone is slate, though I'm amazed that no enterprising firm seems to sell the dark slag from blast furnaces, which is often very shiny. Perhaps they do, but as glass?

gabyjane

Hi thanks.

Yes on the bag it is described as BLACK STONES but online and in the book it is described as black/grey which made me go and check the bags out we had bought! covered in mud we washed a few and although 2 out of the 3 look ok they are not black but deff grey..like you said when wet they are black and lets be honest they are going to be wet more than they are dry in this country!!

We talked about them last night and have decided to open the bag right up and sort through them..it is not so much the colour but the fact that one of them looks dreadful and really battered..if the majority of the bag is like it i dont like them..the other reason we think we should now keep them is the cats..these are quite rocky like so should hopefully keep them off..hopefully! as opposed the other other ones which are really smooth pebbles.
Thanks for the reply x

bottlehalffull

Take them back if you're not happy.

Ask if you can check the colour of another bag/ quality

If you're after posh perfect pebbbles by the bag isn't probably the easiest way

mi_jardin

I could be wrong, but I don't think you will find perfectly black stones. Have you thought of using slate? It might be worth looking at when you go back to the shop.

gabyjane

Hi thanks for the replys.

After a lot of umming and aahing we decided to keep them and went back today for another bag..i spent hours washing them all and after putting them together they look pretty nice! You are right we are never going to get perfect pebbles that wont cost the earth!
The local garden centre has all theirs on display and it is nice to see/feel them and see how they have weathered etc..unfortunatly with B&Q etc you cannot do this until you get home!

invisiblecabbage

I notced our local tesco had big bags of purple slate in store yesterday, any use??

gabyjane

invisiblecabbage wrote: »

I notced our local tesco had big bags of purple slate in store yesterday, any use??

Hi thanks today we got the blue slate but it is a very nice grey silvery colour not blue!..goes nicely with the pebbles when they are grey. We could have got it from a garden centre we went to earlier in the day but tbh it was a funny colour and size so left it they were 2 bags for £10..the ones we got were £4.95 each so not much in it..i'm a bit of a perfectionist and it has to be the right colour although did love the purple ones.
Thanks