How to Create a Crushed Rock Pathway, Continued

4. Place landscape cloth:

• Ron and Madolyn covered the entire path with sheets of landscape cloth. This polyester material is used to keep grass and weeds from growing up through the gravel, yet it is porous enough to let water drain through.

• They saved the turnout section for last. Since they had not originally planned for the additional area, Ron was hoping that they would not run short on landscape cloth. They were pleased to have just enough, which Ron admitted had more to do with good luck than with good planning.

5. Plastic edging:

• Next, they needed to install plastic edging to keep the gravel in place. This edging would also keep dirt from collapsing into the trench.

• Ron held the edging in place while Madolyn worked the rest of it into place. They rolled the edging along the side of the path, and pressed it into the landscape cloth until the top edge was even with the grass. Next, they draped the excess cloth over the top of the edging.

• The edging material came with plastic stakes, which they hammered in at an angle through the bottom lip. They installed the stakes approximately every seven feet along both sides of the path.

• Once the edging was in place, Madolyn used a utility knife to cut away the excess landscape cloth.

6. Crushed rock:

• They were finally ready to begin covering the landscape fabric with several inches of crushed rock.

• They would add more rock a bit later, but first Ron showed Madolyn how to create a decorative border with cut stone.

• They put just the right amount of crushed rock underneath each of the edging stones so that they would stick up at the desired height. The stones were also used to help hold the edging firmly in position.

• With the edge stones in place, they poured the remaining crushed rock onto the pathway, leveled the surface, and once again use the tamper to compact the small stones.

• The final step was to place the flagstones in position along the path. Ron suggested placing the stones about 6 to 12 inches apart.

• Madolyn and Ron selected each stone, one at a time, and positioned it so that it looked good to them.

• After they had selected the positions for each stone, they cleared away an inch or so of crushed rock beneath each stone and wiggled it into place making it level and stable.

• As a beautiful finishing touch to the new pathway, they placed an attractive wooden bench under the tree in the new alcove they had created.

• After it was complete, Ron and Madolyn took a trial stroll down the new path, stopping off for a rest on the new bench.