Where Decorative Garden Pebbles Really Come From

Have you ever wondered where all those smooth and beautiful rocks you see in people’s gardens come from?

The smooth and shiny rocks you see in gardens are actually the product of years of natural erosion on mountainsides across exotic locales like the Philippines and Indonesia.

Rain water washes away the surface of mountains, slowly sending down chunks of basalt into nearby freshwater mountain streams. After the course of thousands of years, these stones follow the course of water to the ocean.

As they travel downstream, they gradually lose their rough edges and jagged shapes and transform into beautiful, round smooth stones.

Back on the beach, local villagers work to gather, sort and package each individual stone by hand. Laws against machinery on the beaches means each single rock must be handled by human touch.

Next time you see gorgeous river rocks in someone’s yard, remember where they came from. Each rock has been touched by human hands at least three times before becoming an element of natural beauty and simplicity.