Crushed Seashells

Emerald Landscape Supply is a customer focused supplier of quality landscaping materials. Our mission is to provide our customers with superior quality, value and service.  Please visit us at 38 Hedges Pond Rd. in Plymouth, MA, or call us at (508) 888-8828 and inquire about our beautiful crushed seashells - a Cape Cod classic.

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Crushed Seashell Driveways and Walkways

Many people simply fall in love with the classic Cape Cod look of crushed seashell driveways and walkways.  Crushed shells are actually a very effective surface for walkways and driveways and, when bought in bulk, can be very affordable.  Certainly, if you go to a local feed store, bagged seashells can be extremely expensive but if you can manage to use a couple of cubic yards or more, seashells are comparable in price to crushed stone.  As the shells get driven over or walked on, they break into smaller pieces.  Over time, the shells will break down to make a very solid driving or walking surface but will require periodic replenishment.  Few materials will create the dramatic visual effect of seashells contrasting with a lush green lawn. 

Crushed seashells can also be used as a composting type mulch for flower beds, gardens and landscape areas.  The shells will gradually break down and provide valuable nourishment and nutrients to your soil, improving the health of your plantings.  When used as mulch, the shells should be placed over a good quality planting soil in a layer approximately two inches thick.  Care should be taken when placing the shells to ensure your plantings are not damaged by the sharp edges of the shells.  An often repeated, but unconfirmed, benefit of using seashells in this manner is that they serve as a deterrent to many garden pests such as voles and slugs.

One of the most cited reasons for not choosing crushed shells as a driveway or walkway surface is a fear of unpleasant odors from the shells.  While there is some truth to the idea that seashells will smell, it is a short-lived nuisance.  Quality shells will have been thoroughly washed prior to being sold and there will be negligible organic matter remaining in the shells.  This organic matter will decompose very quickly once the shells have been spread and the unpleasant odor will pass as the decomposition is complete.  

 

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