How to Design & Install a Flagstone Garden Walk

Flagstones provide a walkway to the patio.

Designing and building an informal walk is a relatively easy project for a do-it-yourself homeowner. Using flagstones set into grass allows friends and family to peruse the garden, keeping their feet dry while they admire the latest additions. Whether used in a woodland, formal or vegetable garden, flagstones are an attractive element of any landscape. Flagstones are available in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors, including rectangular slabs and irregularly shaped pieces.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Garden hose
• Spade
• Sand
• Hand compactor
• Flagstone

Instructions

1. Lay out the garden path, using a garden hose to mark the edge.

2. Measure your stride by taking a step and having your helper measure the space from toe to toe. The average length of a stride is 26 1/2 inches for women and 30 inches for men.

3. Arrange the flagstones in the path, laying out at a comfortable walking distance. Your foot should land in the center of each stone. Test the path to ensure it fits your stride and adjust the placement of the stones as necessary.

4. Cut into the grass with a spade, all the way around the flagstone.

5. Slide the flagstone to the side. Remove the grass and soil to a depth of 3 to 5 inches, depending on the thickness of the flagstone.

6. Tamp the soil firmly with a hand tamper. Sprinkle lightly with water and tamp again.

7. Pour 3 inches of sand into the hole. Tamp firmly. Sprinkle with water and tamp again.

8. Place the flagstone onto the packed sand. Add or remove sand as needed to ensure that the flagstone sits firmly on the base. The flagstone should sit 1/2 to 1 inch above the level of the surrounding soil. Repeat with the remaining flagstones.

Tips & Warnings

• Have the vendor deliver the flagstones and sand to your driveway.

• Use a wheelbarrow or hand truck to move the flagstones to the walk.

• A comfortable size for the flagstones is between 15 and 18 inches.

• Use a mason's chisel and hammer to chip around the edges if necessary to fit the flagstones into the space.

• Remove all the grass along the path, insert the flagstones and surround with mulch or decorative gravel if a more formal appearance is desired.

• Plant a low-growing groundcover around the flagstones for a garden path.

• Wear gloves and safety glasses.

• Recruit a helper to help you move and arrange the flagstones.

References

• Lowe's: Lay a Stepping Stone Walkway
• American Stone: Flagstone Patios or Walkways
• Arizona Cooperative Extension; Pedometer and New Technology --- Cell Phone & Google Maps; Jamie Wise, et al.; April 2009

Resources

• Paver Search: Flagstone Natural Stone Pavers Benefits
• Danny Lipford; Stepping Stones: 6 Steps to the Perfect Path; Danny Lipford
• University of Florida IFAS Extension: Alternatives to Impervious Surfaces