Question
WE have put a fair bit of river rock in our front yard.  I would like to apply a finish to keep the rock looking wet.
can you make any suggestions. We live in Saskatchewan, Canada. We are in hardiness zone 2b so a product that will withstand the thaw freeze cycle, would be best.

Thanks for your help.

Kathy

Answer
Kathy,

Please forgive my tardiness in getting back with you. I am on an extended vacation traveling in remote areas that do not have Internet access, so I am unable to check my e-mail regularly. I hope that I have not kept you from your work.

River rock can be coated with the same clear epoxy that is used in concrete garage applications, but you must first see that the rock is well cleaned and well dried before application. The temperature at time of application is extremely important however. Be certain that you stay within the prescribed ranges when you apply the epoxy.

A more earth friendly solution is discarded vegetable oils from local restaurants. You can use a pump sprayer to apply it, but this requires regular applications. Being an organic gardener, I use this myself in the xeroscape portion of my landscape garden where I have aloe and native herbs growing in and around the rocks (a pseudo river bed that 'flows' through a meandering garden of wild flowers, various tea, and fruiting bushes. I know this is not a solution for everyone, but I wanted to make it available to you if you were open to this sort of less permanent option.

Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any further help or encouragement in solving your issue. And again, please forgive my tardiness in getting back with you.

Yours for a more peaceful and greener garden walk,

David Ward
[email protected]