My name is Andy Freeland.  I am the owner and lead designer at Beds & Borders Landscape Design in Eden Prairie.  I have consulted on more than 15,000 landscape projects over the course of my career in the landscape design/install industry since I founded the company in 2003.  It is in this that I have decided to write a complete tutorial on the single most asked question that I have answered during the course of these consultations:  What is the difference between the materials that can be used in the creation of my new landscape?  I usually answer this question with a question:  What are you willing to spend?  Simply put, the cost is a huge driving factor in a landscape project, but ultimately that is the tip of the iceberg and I feel that a breakdown of why the cost can be the main factor but on the other hand I feel that it is imperative for all homeowners to know that their decision should weigh in on a complex network of options and opportunities that will make their investment one that they feel satisfied with throughout the test of time.