Natural stones can be used to build particularly elegant raised beds. The choice between the different types is very large: However, which one you choose depends on various criteria. This includes not only the shape and texture of the stone, but also its durability, workability and color. Sandstone is one of the most popular natural stones that are used.
Sandstone is great for raised beds
What is sandstone?
Sandstone is an integral part of architecture, as the facades of many famous buildings were made of the material - including the Strasbourg Cathedral, the Berlin Cathedral and the Semper Gallery in the Dresden Zwinger. Sandstone is one of the most common types of rock on earth and can actually be found almost everywhere - accordingly, there are numerous quarries worldwide. It is a so-called soft sedimentary rock that is easy to work with.
How is sandstone composed?
Sandstone consists - as the name suggests - of solidified (the experts say "cemented") sand, which, depending on the type and origin, contains varying amounts of quartz and other sediment particles (e.g. clay, but also the remains of living beings). Sometimes even fossil remains can be seen on larger sandstone chunks, for example of primeval plants.
What properties does sandstone have?
The properties of sandstone cannot be specifically named as they differ greatly depending on the composition. In general, sandstone is a very soft rock that is easy to work with. The disadvantage, however, is that it weathers just as quickly - especially when it comes into contact with moisture. However, the degree of hardness increases with the quartz content. The higher this is, the harder and more resistant is the sandstone. Furthermore, sandstone tends to discolour due to moisture (e.g. rain).
What types of sandstone are best for building raised beds?
Sandstone is available in many different colors - but not because the natural stone has been artificially colored. Instead, the different colors provide information about the composition of the stone and thus about its suitability for building raised beds. Hard and resistant sandstone has a high quartz content and therefore a white-grey colour. So-called iron sandstone has a reddish color due to the iron oxides it contains, while types cemented with feldspar and clay minerals take on a yellowish coloration. The latter, by the way, are the soft sandstone forms.
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Incidentally, sandstone walls are not only popular because they are easy to work with, but because the material is also ideal as a garden biotope for insects, spiders and beetles as well as slowworms and lizards.