I went for a walk the other day along a beach that has many interesting, finely shaped stones. It's a great place to pick up real beauties. Lots of the pretty ones have already been taken. In one area only the 'cover-stones' remain soaking up the late afternoon sun.
I started to think about the fact that stones are often taken home and used to 'dress up' a property. Using rocks and stones from trips to the beach or the country require real skill to avoid making a yard or garden look tacky or garish. It is almost impossible to do when you are merely 'decorating' the place up with stones.
Stones prefer to take a less showy role in the garden. The stones that look best are arranged in fairly subtle, definitely more structural applications. They like to have a reason for being where they are. It's not easy for a stone to look or feel comfortable when it's been thoughtlessly tossed into a new relationship in some window well, around a pond or along the side of a driveway.
That's probably why the best ones don't mind staying where they are, just being admired and chaste along the beach.
