At Giant Landscaping, we often get calls from customers who want to incorporate the beauty of granite in their landscaping. Since New Hampshire’s nickname is “The Granite State,” we feel it’s only natural to add granite steps, accents and other touches in the front and backyard.

Rock solid. Granite is made up of different materials—mainly quartz, alkali feldspar and plagioclase feldspar. Because these different minerals are linked together in the granite just like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, granite is by far one of the most durable rocks in the world.

Here in New Hampshire, we earned our nickname of “The Granite State” by 1830. Twenty years prior to this, the state prison in Concord was made from granite; the prisoners then cut out 3,000 tons of the rock to build the State House. All this work was done by hand, and was transported by teams of horses or down the Merrimack river on barges. Needless to say, we have it much easier today.

Granite is a step-up. For our clients who want add a piece of New Hampshire into their landscaping, we have plenty of options for them to choose from. Granite steps are a popular choice; in addition to being the only material that is more durable than concrete, granite steps are much more attractive to look at. The thermal-top granite steps we install are skid resistant, a very important safety concern for many – especially the elderly. Giant Landscaping can also install wrought iron handrails to any granite step arrangement.

Some of the more common uses for granite steps include replacing old and sinking precast concrete steps that lead up to an entry door, or into walkways that are on a slope. Speaking of sinking, homeowners never have to worry about our granite steps moving or shifting; we set all of our front entry granite steps on a concrete pad, which means they will stay in place for literally decades. In fact, the granite steps may even outlast the house!

Vertical accents. Granite lamp posts, mailbox posts, or fence posts – in addition to their function – stand out aesthetically as a vertical accent where there may be none. Our team can install granite posts that are either split faced or rock-faced. In addition to looking really nice, granite posts don’t discolor over time like PVC posts can. And, if you use granite for your mailbox post, it will stand up to abuse from over-eager snowplow drivers.

Granite can also be used to create birdbaths, fountains, a compass medallion or benches. The stone is quite versatile, and not as expensive as you might think. At Giant Landscaping, we believe the value of using New Hampshire granite in the landscape far exceeds the cost of installing it.