Leveling a Gravel Garden
Gravel gardens are a bold alternative to dirt or undergrowth. They offer a low-maintenance solution ideal for hardy plants and areas where water usage is an issue. Unfortunately, an uneven gravel garden quickly turns into an eyesore. Water collects in pockets, making it difficult to walk through after heavy rains and interfering with the even distribution of water to plants and flowers growing in the garden. Leveling the gravel will take care of this problem and return the space to its beautiful and functional beginnings. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Remove the gravel, raking and shoveling it into a wheelbarrow and placing it in a pile where it won't damage grass or be in the way. Placing the gravel on concrete, such as a driveway, is the best option. Keep removing the gravel until you reach the soil or landscape fabric.
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Remove the landscape fabric if it exists.
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Level the earth with a lawn roller. You can use either a push lawn roller, which you operate by hand, or one that connects to a riding mower. Either way, move the roller over the soil until it is flat and even.
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Lay new landscaping fabric down over the newly leveled ground. This allows water to drain more easily, causing fewer problems with uneven gravel. It will also keep weeds and other undesired plant life from springing up in the garden. Make sure to cut holes out around plants so as to not choke them out.
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Lay the gravel back over the landscaping fabric. Rake the gravel evenly across the garden.
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Repair any damage to edging, or add landscape edging if there isn't any already. This will keep the gravel from shifting and spreading outside of the garden.
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Level the gravel with the lawn roller.
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Tips & Warnings
Shorter plants may become buried under gravel when the garden is leveled completely flat. If you have smaller plants in your garden, it is a good idea to place them on a slight mound as to avoid this problem.
Clay-based soils may not support plant life in a gravel garden.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
