Using a wood block and a hammer, tap the edging into the ground, through the fabric. Slide the 2x3 template onto each piece of edging across the first section of path. Line the inside of the trench with the edging pieces, resting them on top of the landscape fabric. Join together two lengths of edging following the manufacturer's instructions. Make sure the cuts are wide enough and deep enough to slide over the galvanized-steel edging. Make a template (spreader bar) to hold the two parallel lengths of edging lined up at an even 3-foot distance apart: Take a scrap of 2x3 and cut into it two grooves spaced 3 feet apart. Dampening the crushed stone first keeps down dust and helps with compaction. Then, use a 6 or 8-inch-square hand tamper to pound the stone pack into a smooth, hard surface. Step 4: Compact the Stone Baseĭampen the stone pack by spraying it lightly with a garden hose or watering can. Step 3: Add Crushed Stone Step 3, Step 4 Kolin SmithĪfter smoothing and compacting the soil in the bottom of the trench, line the trench with about 2½ inches of crushed stone pack. Tip: When digging, place the excavated soil onto a tarp to make it easier to remove. Next, smooth the bottom of the trench with a steel rake, then compact the soil with a hand tamper. Occasionally check the depth of the trench with a tape measure as you go. When digging the trench, use the square-edged spade to make the sides of the trench straight, and the bottom as even as possible. Using a square-edged spade, remove the soil within that border to a depth of 4 inches. If using spray paint, buy line-marking paint, which allows you to easily spray lines while holding the can upside down. Start by marking the location and shape of your path with a garden hose, length of rope or spray paint. Colonial Americans crushed the cast-off shells from their oyster feasts to line their garden paths these days you're likely to see crushed granite or lava stone as often as gravel. What you put down between the edging is also a matter of choice. You can also make the path as wide as you like: 3 to 4 feet is standard. Just be sure the gravel stops about ½ inch short of the edging's top-which should be flush with surrounding plant beds and lawn-or the gravel will spill over. But you can also use pressure-treated wood, cedar, bricks, cobblestones, or even plastic edging. Galvanized steel is a durable and traditional choice and also malleable enough for curves.
The gravel, being so movable, needs an edge to contain it. A lining of landscape fabric over the base will keep weeds from growing up through the path.
But in most areas, especially where the soil is sandy, you'll need to create a base of tamped-down stone pack, which is a mix of ¾-inch stones and stone dust. In zones with hard clay, that can be the soil itself. Still, to give the path structure and stability, it must have a compact base. "And you don't have to worry about cutting the stones." "You can make a twisty, curvy, organic walk," says Roger Cook, This Old House landscape contractor. Not only that, a gravel path can take on many shapes.
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Because the tiny stones move fluidly, winter's freezes and thaws won't heave and crack the surface in the same way they would with a rigid material like stones or pavers. You only have to dig down a few inches to make room for the pebbles-even in cold-weather climates. Gravel paths are easy to construct because they aren't set very deep. An afternoon to get it down (as demonstrated here by This Old House technical editor Mark Powers), and you'll soon have a natural-looking, foliage-free way to walk through your perfect landscape. Gravel (as well as crushed brick or crushed shell) is a traditional path material found in formal gardens throughout Europe and Asia, and takes little skill to install. Sure, you could spend several days and many dollars putting in a walkway made of cobbles or bluestone, but a simple gravel trail won't break your back-or your budget. What's the point of a well-maintained yard if trying to get around it means trampling the marigolds and leaving your paw prints in the perfectly clipped lawn? The best landscapes guide amblers with paths-well-defined ribbons that say, "Hey, go this way," and, gently, "Keep off the grass."
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