Whether you work with a professional landscaper or take on projects yourself, incorporating natural stone into your landscape is easier than you might think. With a wide range of stone types available, you can choose options that balance both function and beauty.
Everyone agrees—natural stone elevates outdoor design. And when paired with plants, the result is truly photo-worthy. The real question isn’t if you should use stone, but which stone you need and why.
That’s where our One-Of-A-Kind Stone Collection comes in. These rare, distinctive stones are hard to find and impossible to replicate. We’ve spent nearly a century collecting and curating them, organizing our selection across several acres so you can browse, explore, and hand-pick the perfect pieces for your project.
Below are a few suggestions to help you choose the right stone and understand how to use it in your landscape design.
These Flat Top Boulders are exactly what the name suggests. Each stone is hand-selected and set aside for its naturally level surface. They can be used individually as accent pieces or benches, or grouped together to create a striking landscape feature.
In this project, Flat Top Boulders are used first as a retaining wall and then extended into built-in seating around a fire pit living space. Smaller boulders are placed approximately every eight feet to serve as comfortable hand rests. The long stone seating area is tucked into the hillside, giving the space a natural, organic look that blends seamlessly into the landscape.
Flat Top Boulders are sold individually and range in size from 1 to 4 tons. Larger Flat Top Boulders over 4 tons are also available and sold by weight.
These boulders are very different from our Flat Top Boulders. They feature rounded shapes and naturally weathered edges, giving them a softer, more organic appearance. Available in a wide range of sizes, they typically range from ½ ton to 2 tons.
Smaller stones can also be found in our Bulk Stone category. Individual boulders may be tagged separately or hand-selected directly from our Bulk Stone piles. Each piece varies in color and texture, and you may even discover examples of our rare state stone, Puddingstone.
These boulders are an excellent choice for individual accents, bookends on walls, retaining walls, and tiered hardscape designs.
These are workable granite blocks sourced from a variety of locations throughout New England, including demolished foundations and bridges. You’ll find pieces originating from Deer Isle, ME; Rockport, MA; Concord, NH; and Quincy, MA, to name just a few.
These stones are created from larger granite blocks using traditional methods such as feather-and-wedge splitting, guillotining, and hand splitting. Each process exposes the interior of the stone, resulting in a distinctive split-face texture. If a piece has one smoother side, this is known as the seam face—the natural outer edge of the stone that has been weathered over time.
This category of stone is commonly used for hardscape projects such as rough retaining walls (as shown in the photo above) or finely crafted, cemented masonry walls shaped by the skilled hands of experienced stone masons.
One of the most popular products in our One-Of-A-Kind area, these granite pieces are flatter in profile and range in thickness from 4" to 8". With a wide variety of lengths and widths, they are an ideal stone option for steps.
Each piece has its own unique character, color, and texture. Any visible drill marks are a testament to the stone’s history, showing how it was feathered and wedged from a larger granite block. We also offer a Select grouping of used granite that features longer and wider pieces, perfect for platforms and distinctive landings.
Like many of the stones in this area, these pieces come from demolished projects and have been collected over decades, giving them a naturally weathered appearance and timeless appeal.
One of our most natural-looking stone options for landscape steps or platforms, these landings feature smoother seam-face edges that create a flatter surface in a larger-scale stone.
These are not gauged products—they are not sawn on the bottom. Instead, they are naturally split and come directly from their quarry source just as you see them. Each piece is separated along the natural seam of the stone, shaped by how it formed in the ground over time.
Once installed, these landings feel as if they have always been there. The result is an old-world, rustic, and beautifully natural look that blends seamlessly into the landscape.
In conclusion, adding natural stone to your landscape is not a difficult step in the project process—no pun intended. There’s often an undeserved sense of intimidation when it comes to working with natural stone, but getting started can be simple. A single accent stone, a few stepping stones, or a couple of landings can make a meaningful impact.
The key is knowing that there are many options available for incorporating natural stone into your designs. Our One-Of-A-Kind area was created over years of collecting, organizing, and continually refreshing our inventory with unique new pieces. Whether your project is large or small, there’s a stone waiting to become part of it.
For more info on designing a patio check out our Designing Your Patio Blog
