Affordable garden path ideas

Place the flagstone where you want it, then cut the outline in the grass.

Pry up the sod, then set the yard stone. Use sand to level it, if necessary.

Arrange stones so the distance from the centre of one to the centre of the next one is 500 to 600mm.

Set the stones in place and cut around them with a spade or rock saw. Then lift the stone and dig out the grass and a little soil.

Spread a 1-2mm-thick layer of sand under the stone if you want to make levelling the stones easier. Sand is easier to work with than soil. A 30kg bag of sand is enough for about four to six stones.

Set the top of the stepping-stones about 2-3cm above the soil level. This will give you a dry place to step while still allowing you to run a lawn mower over the path.

Ground cover attractively fills the space around and between pieces of yard stones such as flagstone. Including ground cover plants in your garden path makes a stone walkway easier in two ways: First, you can skip the thick, compacted gravel base underneath. That eliminates the backbreaking digging, plus the hauling and compacting of gravel. Without the solid base, the stones will shift and become uneven, but the plants will hide that. The second advantage is that you don’t have to spend extra time laying the stones perfectly. The plants will hide wide gaps.

There are quite a few perennial plants that can withstand foot traffic and will grow between stones. Check with your local nursery to see what’s available that will grow in your area.

Arrange the stones along the walkway, leaving at least 100mm between them for plants. Then cut along the edge of the stones with a flat spade to outline the path.

Slice off a layer of sod and soil about 40mm deep.

Spread a 10mm layer of sand. This will allow the stones to settle in slightly and keep them from rocking.

Choose plants that will stand up to traffic and grow in the available light and soil type.

Water the new plants frequently for the first few months until the plants are well-established.

Pull weeds and grass from between the stones every few weeks to prevent them from overrunning the plants.

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Source: Family Handyman