Well, over there its cheap and readily available, and if you're not going to be walking over it all the time, it would behave like a growth suppressant inorganic mulch which allows water through, bit like pea shingle. Crushed granite is more often referred to as 'decomposed granite' in the States, and it comes loose, or with a stabilizer mixed in, or resin bound - the cheapest is the loose decomposed granite, which might also be called crushed granite.

Thanks B, as usual you're a mine of information. The only problem is she ( or her OH ) ordered far too much, and is now lumbered with it.

She should store it somewhere if she can - crushed granite can be washed out by heavy rain, or if people constantly walk on it, so it will need topping up again at some point.

If she advertises it surely someone will take the surplus off her hands - though I can never understand the craze for it and it will be a bummer if she ever changes her mind...

Maybe - as for using it at all, well, these things go in fashions don't they...remember when everyone was putting decking down over here?

We use a lot of it here in Arizona. The term "decomposed granite" is used for the finer grades, such as 1/4" minus, or 3/8", which is easy to rake and easy to walk on, and is used for paths and to cover yards. It doesn't do much for weed control, though. The coarser grades, 1/2" to 1" in diameter, when layered 2"-3" deep, will stop or greatly reduce weeds, giving a clean yard without having to water and mow a lawn. The resulting landscape's success depends on the designer: the best are like good Japanese stone gardens, while the worst are moonscapes!