the Allure of Stone

The Allure of Stone

Work by Justin Wilson, mason at Mountain Home Landscape

Stone in the natural world brings awe and grounding from the tallest peaks, to boulders alongside curvy highways, stone has always been there to be the foundation of nature. It holds it all in, gives solidness to the form, and is also a cooling spot in the shade and a warm spot in the sun. It creates character in the man made landscape as well. The lines that are very natural in a patio or step, enhances the garden beds, lawn, and a homes exterior. 

In Western Massachusetts we are fortunate to have plenty of quarries that offer a wide selection of natural stone, but the most abundant in the Berkshires, Franklin, Hampshire County are Bluestone and Goshen Stone®. I am gonna exclude limestone out of this subject today, though used in landscapes in a variety of ways besides being an attractive sandstone. I am gonna narrow this to the common stones we do use in the landscape. 

Bluestone

What is Bluestone?

Bluestone is essentially sandstone or limestone (see that snuck in there, I guess I am talking about limestone). On the Mohs Hardness scale it is a 6. The Mohs Hardness scale is used to measure the qualitative hardness of minerals from 1-10, characterizing scratch resistance of minerals through the ability of harder materials to scratch softer materials. The name Bluestone comes from the various studies of Stone Henge in England where the stones are bluish in color but are not quarried nearby but travelled far to placed there. 

Bluestone has a distinctive look and design flexibility from looking like laid out tiles, to natural rounded pieces. Very popular for patios and easy to maintain. 

Goshen Stone®

What is Goshen Stone?

Goshen Stone is a mica schist. On the Mohs Hardness scale it is between 4-5. It posses such a hard quality since its a type of granite that when split, can create a straight edge. Naturally queried in New England especially in Goshen, Ashfield, and Cummington. Though Goshen stone is a specific registered name for George D. Judd and Sons Goshen Stone in, you guessed it, Goshen, MA. 

Native Stone

Now sometimes we use what we have in the backyards of our clients and we deem that Native Stone. It can vary in size from small edging stones to large boulders to create striking design elements within the landscape. 

What about unnatural stones? Like Bricks, pavers, etc?

These are commonly used as well. In fact many landscapers use Unilock Pavers which are simple to use and can create an instant patio, driveway, fire pits, outdoor kitchens, and walkways. The designs are endless with Unilock and you can choose yours based on design and budget. Since it’s formal, cookie cutter, and modern, often times I’ve seen this near business, commercial places, and urban settings. 

The Art of Stone in the Landscape

When I think of artistic renderings of stone in Landscape, the name Dan Snow comes to mind. A Vermont born artisan, Dan Snow has over 40 years as a creative dry stone builder. His works alone engage the visitor to the natural world and that brings the installation to life with its viewing.

The Allure…

When stone is used in a landscape, it brings the wilderness home. From the built Bluestone patios to gaze upon mountains, the Goshen stone steps that grace down the hill to a pastoral meadow (like the picture above), it brings the natural world to us.