Opinions differ widely when it comes to gravel gardens. Some marvel at their modern and purist aesthetic. Others consider them to be “stone deserts” at odds with nature. So, who’s right, and is there a compromise solution? Many people opt for a gravel garden thinking they are low-maintenance, but according to Oliver Fink, chair of a German gardening ssociation, that’s not true at all. “While they are designed to prevent the growth of pesky weeds, nature always prevails in the end,” he says. In an average gravel garden, the soil is covered with a fleece or plastic fabric. Rainwater can drain th…