How to Arrange Stepping Stones
Thinking of ways to revitalize your front yard landscape or your backyard garden on a budget? Installing a beautiful stepping-stone pathway is an easy, economical way to bring both whimsy and interest to an otherwise ordinary home landscape. Perhaps best of all, a stepping-stone pathway can be built in an afternoon--and even quicker if you have someone on hand to help you out. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Heavy gloves for lifting stones
- Spade with a long handle
- Trowel
- Stepping stones
- Dirt, gravel, mulch, sand or wood chips
Instructions
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Walk the path. Before you begin laying down your stepping stones, visualize an imaginary path. Walk along that path with a regular stride. Each time you step, place a rock or another marker on the ground. If you are especially short or tall, adjust the markers or ask someone with a more balanced height to do this task for you.
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Consider where the path should go. The appeal of stone walkways is that they add character to an outdoor garden, front yard or backyard. Think about where you want guests to go on your path. Do you want to lead them to your door, take them through your rose garden or direct them to the pool? A path should go somewhere and is a simple way to draw attention to a unique part of your home. "Whether it directs you and your guests under an archway of jasmine or around a bend to a reflecting pool, a path that works makes the garden more inviting," writes This Old House contributor Lynn Ocone in her article "Here's How to Build a Perfect Path."
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Place and trace. Put on your heavy work gloves. Remember to lift properly. Do not bend over to pick up the stone, but lift with your legs and keep your back straight. Consider asking someone to help you. Lay out your stones at each spot where you have placed an informal marker. Take a step back to make sure your design works.
Then use a spade to cut around the outside of the stone, recommends Lowe's online How-to Library entry for laying a stepping-stone walkway. Dig deeply enough so that there is an indentation in the dirt. Try to remove any roots that get in the way.
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Replace, adjust and level. Slide the stones to the side and remove the surface grass or dirt. Once you have removed the ground surface, return the stone to the excavated spot and add dirt or sand around the stone. The stones will have to settle, so add enough dirt or sand so that the stones "sit slightly above the surface," advises the Lowe's online entry. Eventually, they will settle flush to the ground's surface.
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Add decorative covering. Fill in the spaces along your path with your choice of dirt, gravel, mulch, sand or wood chips. Use a trowel to spread the covering and smooth it out.
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