How to Landscape with Flagstone & Moss Rock

Make a basic sketch of your landscape that includes your gardens, patios, trees, water and other landscaping features. Use two different-colored pencils to indicate where you want to install flagstone and moss rock. Shady places work best for moss rock, and it's slippery when wet so avoid using it for walkways. Moss rock looks natural near a pond or drainage ditch.

Use wooden stakes and string to outline the areas where you plan to lay walkways and edging.

Remove grass, weeds and debris from the outlined areas. For a walkway, dig a trench 6 inches deep and compress the soil with a plate compactor. Spread 2 inches of gravel over the trench and compress the surface again. Add a layer of sand 2 inches thick over the gravel surface.

Lay your flagstone walkway beginning in one corner and working your way along the trench. Arrange the flagstones in straight rows, or fit different sizes and shapes together like a puzzle. Tap each stone with a rubber mallet and place a level on the surface to ensure the stones are even. Continue setting stones until the trench is completely filled in. Brush sand in the crevices between stones and sweep off the excess.

Dig out a 6-inch-deep trench around a pond or shaded garden where you plan to add moss rock. Spread a 4-inch layer of sand over the trench and place the moss rock around the pond. Place large rocks side by side against one another, and then tuck smaller rocks between any large gaps.

Create a small rock garden in a shaded open area. Clear the area of grass and root systems, and spread a 4-inch layer of gravel over the area. Line the bed of gravel with flagstones. Set large moss boulders at different angles in the garden, spaced irregularly.