How to Prepare the Ground for Laying a Rock Bed

Determine the layout of the rock bed. Keep in mind that curves or slopes, for example, will make the finished bed look more interesting than simply straight lines or a circle. Mark it out with turf-marking paint.

Use a shovel (and possibly a pick if the ground is hard or rocky) to remove the sod from inside the marked area. Remove the soil. If you're digging to make a creek rock bed, a good rule of thumb to follow is, make it half as deep as it is wide. That means, a bed that's 6 feet wide should be 3 feet deep. Pile the soil along the sides of the bed to make the sides higher. When you're done digging, tamp the soil down with the back of the shovel.

Rake the ground of the rock bed to remove rocks, sticks and other debris. Then, lay down landscaping fabric to keep grass and weeds from growing. Basically, you roll the fabric out to cover the entire area. Stretch it out so it's flat and wrinkle-free before you cut the excess off.

Anchor down the landscaping fabric with garden staples. Stick the staples through the fabric along the edges of the rock bed approximately every 5 feet. Push the staples all the way into the ground. The ground is now prepared and ready to add rocks.