How to Group Stones in a Garden

Pathways

• 1

  Group broad, flat stones for making pathways through the garden.

• 2

  Outline the desired pathway outline. Delineate the proposed edges for a straight pathway with stakes and string. Create curving edges for a curved pathway with snaking garden hoses.

• 3

  Excavate the ground between the outlined edges to a depth 2 to 3 inches deeper than the average thickness of the broad, flat stones. Rake the bed of the dug area then compact the soil with a hand tamper.

• 4

  Edge along the inside walls of the excavated area. Place lines of small stones, set upright, snugly into the corners.

• 5

  Fill the bed with 2 to 3 inches of sand and gravel. Then compact the sand and gravel with the hand tamper.

• 6

  Set the broad, flat stones edge to edge on top of the compacted sand and gravel, fitting them together like puzzle pieces to create the pathway. Add or remove gravel underneath when raising or lowering a stone's elevation as necessary. Embed the stones by striking them on the tops with a mallet.

• 7

  Fill the gaps between stones with a combination of smaller stones, sand and soil. Spread the matter onto the pathway by hand then use a broom sweep it into the joints.

Borders and Runoff Barriers

• 8

  Separate out small to medium-size stones to create a border around the garden.

• 9

  Dig a trench around the garden to a depth and width approximately the same as the largest edging stone.

• 10

  Tamp the bed of the trench with the butt of a 2-inch-by-4-inch board. Fill the bed halfway with gravel and sand. Tamp the gravel and sand layer.

• 11

  Fit stones tightly together in the trench, much in the manner of building a dry-stack stone wall. Build up the stones so they protrude just enough to create a visible edge and a barrier for holding in garden soil.

• 12

  Pack soil into any gaps around the stone edging to set it firmly in place.

Rock Art

• 13

  Use large, sculptural stones to create decorative elements in the garden. Place them where it appears as if weighted, statuesque forms will add interesting contrast to the existing landscape. Do not plan to put stones in areas where they will block the flow of physical movement. Find places where large, heavy stones will bring balance to empty areas or areas now dominated by only soft patches of vegetation.

• 14

  Place some large stones alone, like sleeping giants resting solitarily in the landscape. Think of these single stones as anchors, creating dominant focal points in the garden. Juxtapose tall stones with surroundings that are largely horizontal to create contrast. Place wide, squat stones in surroundings with many vertical elements to bring attention back to the ground plane.

• 15

  Make groupings of other large stones that have varying sizes and shapes. Imagine different animals interacting with one another when arranging groupings of stones. Juxtapose rocks with tapered edges with tall and straight stones, and with wide and short stones. The diagonal lines of the tapered-edge stones will tie together the horizontality of the tall stones and the verticality of the short stones.