Natural stone in the garden

Bring your garden to life with natural stone

There is no better time than now to give that extra bit of love to the garden, the conservatory or the greenhouse. With versatile, hard-wearing natural stone you can create a living, unique and lasting garden, one that only grows more beautiful with the years. Here we have gathered tips and inspiration for anyone who wants to bring the garden to life with natural stone.

Create a lasting and timeless patio

It is no coincidence that natural stone is becoming an ever more attractive choice when it comes to paving gardens, greenhouses and conservatories. Limestone and marble last for generations, and only grow more beautiful with the years thanks to wear and patina. By using a natural material you make sure that colour, texture and form flow together with the outdoor setting, while the stone brings a living feeling.

Furnish the conservatory with natural stone

If you are planning to lay natural stone as the floor in your conservatory or greenhouse, there are several ways to furnish it. Furniture and plants combine easily with the natural fossil imprints and patterns of the stone, so that everything harmonises and feels of a piece without being obviously matched. To add warmth and make the conservatory feel snug, you can match the stone with textiles, lighting and colour. Our Norrvange matte honed, for instance, works very well with warm beige colours.

The experience you are after in the conservatory guides the choice of stone and finish. If you want a rustic feel, choose a natural stone with a coarser surface, such as our limestone Norrvange brushed. If you are after the feeling of southern Europe, we would recommend Alevik honed, our Nordic travertine with a porous structure and cavities just like the Italian one. The porous surface means the stone should be impregnated on the top side before grouting. If you are building an orangery, perhaps our Öland limestone Chateau Selection would suit? The Chateau Selection has variations in colour, texture and pattern that create a very lively and earthy feeling. It works beautifully in an orangery.

The feeling in the conservatory is also shaped by the format of the stone tiles. You can choose fixed formats such as 30x30 centimetres, but if you want a more distinctive and playful conservatory there are many alternatives to the classic square tile. You can lay the floor in wide falling lengths and, if you feel like it, even mix different formats. Irregular tiles with natural shapes and shifts in colour create a lively feeling, and you can furnish by following those shapes, or by going entirely against them. There are many ways to create a lively and timeless conservatory with natural stone.

Choose the right finish for your garden

Honed, brushed or diamond milled – which finish should you choose? If you are laying stone in a conservatory or greenhouse you can, with a clear conscience, set the functional side aside and choose whichever option appeals to you most. If, on the other hand, you want to lay natural stone on a terrace or patio that is exposed to snow through the winter, there are durability aspects to keep in mind. To begin with, for the natural stone to last it needs to be frost resistant. All of our stones, apart from Lindanäs limestone, are frost resistant and work outdoors. Beyond frost resistance, we recommend choosing a stone with a coarse surface. That way you reduce the risk of slipping when the stone is wet or covered in leaves. A coarse surface never becomes as slippery as a honed one can.

If you are unsure which natural stone to choose, it is a good idea to order samples of the stone before you decide! Look at the stone in natural light and feel whether the finish is right. Turn to your craftsman as well and ask for advice ahead of the purchase and the tiling. Here is a guide for the craftsman with dos and don'ts.

Different types of natural stone

There are many different types of natural stone. Whether you choose limestone, marble, granite or another type of natural stone, properties such as colour, colour strength, texture and structure are important to keep in mind. Whether the rock resists discolouration and weathering is another important factor to take into account when you choose your stone.

Choosing the right natural stone for your garden matters, but choosing the right adhesive, silicone and grout matters almost as much. All of these components must be suited to natural stone, so that they do not cause discolouration and damage such as efflorescence in the stone. We offer both adhesive and grout made for natural stone here! If you are unsure which grout to choose for your stone, you will find our recommendations in the technical information.

Pre-treatment and maintenance

When it comes to pre-treatment and maintenance of your natural stone, the job could not be simpler. Impregnate the stone with VERNA Protect. It makes the surface water and oil repellent, protects against stains and makes the stone easier to keep clean. With gentle maintenance you make sure your natural stone stays beautiful year after year, whatever the weather. If you would like more advice on how best to look after your natural stone, you can read our care instructions.