How to Stone & Moss a Patio

Creating a Stone and Moss Patio

• 1

  Clear the area where you would like your patio to be. Remove all loose debris and weeds until you have only bare dirt remaining. Define the edge of the area with the flat tip of your shovel. Level the area with your shovel and loosen the soil. If the soil is too hard, water it for half an hour until it softens.

• 2

  Loosely arrange your flat stones in the area that you would like to be a patio. If the height of the stones is too high, you will need to cut holes to set the stones into the earth. You can do this by tracing around each stone with your shovel's edge, removing the stone, and then digging up the outlined dirt. If the level is just right, then you will need dirt to fill in the spaces around the stones.

• 3

  Find your moss, either near your house in a cool shady area, or ask your neighbors if they have some. You also may be able to buy some at a local nursery. When you find it, simply scrape it up along with some of the dirt underneath.

• 4

  Wet the soil around the stones on your patio, and wet the bottom of your moss. Press the moss into the cracks between the stones. Stand on it, pressing it gently into the wet soil. You can use a board to spread your weight and press more moss at once.

• 5

  Pull up the board and water thoroughly every day for three weeks. As long as your moss is in a shady place, it should do just fine. You are now finished, and you can enjoy your patio.