Build a Stone-Edged Gravel Path

A gravel path bordered by a cobblestone curb is works well with many garden styles and is relatively easy to build and maintain.

Apathinvites us into the garden , bestowing the freedom to wander and enjoy the consequence of our travail . On a more practical level , paths allow easy admittance for performing those labors . Pathways also limit the stylus of a garden , creating amoodof formalness or casualness , framing theplantings , and prove viewpoints .

The path illustrate here , gravel edge by a sett curb , is adaptable to many garden styles and is comparatively easy to progress and keep . This dash work well in a formalgeometric garden , but it can also be designed to cheat with the landscape painting . The same style would work even in a woodland typeset if you replaced the top duet of inch of gravel with bark potato chip .

To build this case of path , you begin by digging a shallow deep , lining it withweed roadblock fabric , then fill up it with an in of crushed rock . You then stand cobblestones on edge atop the gravel base bed , adding or subtracting gravel underneath until the cobblestones forge a smooth , even short letter . Once the stones front good , you tamp soil behind the cobbles and fill the path with additional gravel until just a yoke of inch of the stone projection above the priming coat . For stability , the cobbles must be buried to approximately three - quarters of their depth .

Few specialtoolsare involve , just a 4 - fundament constructor ’s level , a tape measure , stake , and strand . A stalwart wheelbarrow is a must for prompt the gravel , and a pointed digger is the best instrument for dig into it . You ’ll also require a turd rake for smoothing the gravel and for tamping and smoothing thesoilbehind the cobbles . Building a path is proletariat intensive ; getting help and step yourself will make the line accomplishable and more enjoyable .

Selecting stone and gravel

cobblestone can vary in size , but the ace I used—8 inches wide , 11 inches long , and 4 column inch thick — are a good size of it for curbing . When betray for pit , take a good looking at before you grease one’s palms . The cobblestones should be very close to orthogonal and of even heaviness . If the cobbles depart a raft , they ’ll be hard to go together and to form into a smooth line .

The best crushed rock for covering the path is called pea I. F. Stone . The stones in it are about the size of jelly beans . Pea stone is the coarsest crushed rock that can easily be shovel and lurch by manus , an significant consideration when set the cobblestones in place . The coarseness of the pea plant gemstone also gives the path grain , encourages drainage , and monish gage growth . If you desire , the top few column inch of stuff can be different from the underlying pea stone foundation . Using white marble chip for the top level would make a very different look than the morose pea stone . Since even a belittled project will require several tons of gravel , taste to have it have close to the garden . If at all potential , dump the stone on a paved surface or on plyboard sheet . I see the hard way that the bottom of a gravel nap underprice onto grass gets tangled in the lawn , make the last few inches about impossible to beak up . What gravel you do convalesce will be load with stems and dirt .

Designing a path

Only a few basic rules pertain when designing a gravel path , but they ’re significant . Ignoring them will make grammatical construction difficult and the itinerary awkward to walk on . The path can go up or down a aristocratic side with a rising slope or fall of up to 1 inch per foundation . On a steeper slope , the gravel will shift and gradually work its manner down hill . Steeper slopes are intimately handled either by make level runs joined with steps , or by zigzagging across the slope ’s face .

For easy walking , the track should be level from side to side . For the path to black market across sloping earth , recontour the slope to make a level patio for the pathway . Make the terrace wide enough to result 6 column inch of level ground outside the cobblestones before keep up or down mound .

Pathway, start to finish

Mark the way of life with stakes and string set 8 in out to give yourself room to exploit . Dig the way 1 column inch shallower than the height of the Edward Durell Stone . Lay weed - barrier textile in the bottom of the oceanic abyss and cover with 1 inch of gravel(see drawing off A , below ) . identify the stones(B),then backfill with soil along the outside . fulfill the path with more gravel(C)and rake it smooth .

Because cobblestones ca n’t be cut to size , avoid excogitation for which the stones have to fit just into place . When the stones must fit against a repair object , jump at the fixed terminal and work away from it .

Main paths should be at least 3 feet wide between the out-of-door edges of the cobblestones . If you want the paths to accommodate two hoi polloi side by side , make them a lower limit of 4 feet wide . Side paths can be a little bit narrower , but try not to drop below 30 inch wide or you ’ll encounter them restricting .

If you are going to eat up the ends of the path with cobbles laid straight across , the path will need to be an even numeral of stones wide , but a track does n’t have to terminate by being simply squared off . The stones can make a half circle or expand into a larger round or substantial , make an stress in the garden ’s design .

Laying out the path

Keeping the basic rules in mind , lay out the route with stakes and string or by lay duration of wood lath ( 1 in by 3 inch woodwind instrument strip ) on the terra firma . Using wood lath works especially well because it gives you a clear visual sense of how the finish up path will appear . For a tortuous path , use length of garden hose to adumbrate the route ’s edges . If you find oneself that the ground need to be recontoured to keep the route story crosswise and only gently sloping over its length , now is the time to do your major earthmoving . This can be heavy work , but do n’t skimp on this step . Getting the earth properly contoured will make set up the cobblestones much easier , and the finished job will expect better and be more well-situated to walk on .

Building the path

Once you have the ground contour and the boundary of the path outlined , pounding in a set of wager 8 inches out from the bound of the way of life , and run a cosmic string taut from stake to stake . This will give you a stable address point for savvy , since the inner stakes or hose will involve to be slay for comprehend the trench . Excavate about an inch shallow than the breadth of the cobblestones , a 7 - in - deep trench would be proper for 8 - column inch - spacious stones ( remember that the stones will be set on edge , so their width becomes their superlative ) . At this depth , with an inch of crushed rock underneath the cobblestone , the finished curb will be two inches higher than the undercoat . limit the deepness by put a board across the width of the path and then value down .

The width of the trench should be a couple of inches wider on each side than the final width of the path . Digging the paries to 6 inch off from stakes set 8 inches out will give you the extra width you need to manage the stones and ensure that there is a full level of crushed rock under them . As you dig up , dress aside the top couple of in of grunge to be used afterward as backfill against the exterior of the stones . The rest of the soil you move out is permissive waste . It is usually unspoiled to do all of the trenching at one meter ; after that , the cobbles and gravel can be install a section at a prison term .

Once the oceanic abyss is dug , pack down any loosened soil to prevent after settle . Then put the green goddess - barrier fabric , making trusted it completely covers the breadth of the oceanic abyss . Next , spread an inch - cryptic layer of crushed rock on the fabric and rake it out level(see section A ) . Now you ’re finally ready to start laying the cobblestones .

Begin by placing four or five cobbles in a business down one side of the path . As you place each Lucy Stone , jiggle it and crusade down . The stone will sink into the crushed rock an inch or so and become pretty fixed and stable .

After you ’ve set this first group of Stone , step back and check their alignment . They should be even in height , a couple of inches above ground degree , forming a straight line or smooth curve ball as involve , 8 inches in from the out stakes(see section B).Readjust the stones until they front right .

Continue setting stones down one side of the path , delay the alignment as you go , until you ’ve gone 8 to 10 feet or you ’ve come to an intersection . Now go back to the beginning of the path and protrude setting the opposite kerb ’s stone in place . Use a grade to ensure the new stones are set at the same tiptop as the paired curb . practice a tapeline measure to keep the width of the path even . For convenience , you could cut a length of lath the breadth of the track to use as a gauge . verify the stones on each side ride out even with each other . If one curb is consort a few column inch longer than the other , you ’ll operate into problems at intersections .

Because cobblestones are irregular , setting them and getting them to calculate right is more artistic production than science . Trust your eye and readjust until everything looks right . For complex layout , you should have all the cobblestones put down in situation and adjust before you backfill with soil and crushed rock .

Once you are slaked with the layout of the stones , backfill the soil , packing it firmly behind the stones . After the backfill is in place , the only remaining step is to satisfy in the path itself with more crushed rock , raking it and the ground outside the check to even up the exposure of the cobblestones(see department C ) .

All that ’s left to do after that is to fetch yourself a inhuman drinkable and a keister in the shadiness and admire your handicraft .

— Woodworker , piece of furniture clothes designer , and gardener John White lives in Newtown , Connecticut .

Illustrations : Bob La Pointe .

December 2000

fromKitchen Gardening#30

Fine Gardening Recommended production

Buffalo - Style Gardens : make a Quirky , One - of - a - Kind Private Garden with Eye - transmittable design

Build a Stone-Edged Gravel Path

A.Lay weed-barrier cloth and 1 in. of gravel.

Fine Gardening receives a commission for detail buy through links on this site , include Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs .

Fiskars Garden Tool Caddy with Removable Small Tool Storage for Indoor and Outdoor Gardening Use , Made with Recycled Plastic

Corona ® Multi - Purpose Metal Mini Garden Shovel

Pathway, start to finish illustration

A.Lay weed-barrier cloth and 1 in. of gravel.

Get our latest wind , how - to article , and instructional telecasting sent to your inbox .

sign you up …

How to Build a Brick Path

How to Create a Gravel Garden

Choosing the Right Paving Materials

Build a Dry-Stacked Stone Retaining Wall

conjoin Fine Gardening for a spare engaging live webinar featuring Dr. Janna Beckerman , a renowned plant pathologist as well as prof emerita at Purdue University and the ornamental technical director …

When I spotted a particular sand dollar cactus ( Astrophytum asterias ) at the Philadelphia Flower Show a few months ago , I knew I was in trouble . With a delicious color pattern …

When we only prioritise plants we require over flora our landscape painting needs , each season is filled with a never - cease tilt of chores : pruning , filch , lacrimation , treating , amend , and fertilizing , with …

Lay weed-barrier cloth and 1 in. of gravel drawing

A.Lay weed-barrier cloth and 1 in. of gravel.

Video

Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat

You must be measured when you go into the backyard of garden designer Jeff Epping — not because you ’re potential to trip on something , but because you might be dive - bombed by a yoke …