Bark Chipping as ground cover.

Yes you can use decorative bark to cover your flower beds and it will not stop the perennials from growing though next year.

You have not told us what sort of soil you have???...I would think you may have Clay soil, as it tends to be very stoney..
I compost my own soil, & mix it with bought Compost
John Innes No. 2, then mix it with Lots of bark...Putting
it on to the bed 2inches high....
You will not see the stones, much at all by doing this...
I do this on all my beds....The difference is amazing!!
This is done once a year...Bark, will not stop your perrenials coming through each year, as a matter of fact, they will thrive on this soil...

Thanks Moon_growe, I have some Pachysandra Terminalis in a very shady corner which is spreading nicely, will is prevent this from sprouting up. I am used to hearing about bark being a weed suppressant so thought it might do the same for plants ?

Thanks Freesiaperso, thats a good tip.
Not quite sure what soil I have sorry, everything seems to be doing so well though. My house is a new build and the land was previously used for agricultural research at the local university but was just overgrown waste land for about 20 years prior. It can be quite claggy when wet though.

A top dressing of bark wont suppress you plants or the weeds. unless it is several inches thick.

Thanks Moon_growe, that has convinced me. It definately won't be an couple of inches thick and I don't mind weeding.

Great!

If you have a lot of stones in your garden, then no matter what you try to cover them up with, they will still come to the surface, they,re thrown up by movement of the earth maybe miles underground, and there,s nothing you can do about it. Derek.

Very true Derek however, bark and other soil covers will disguise them.