Backyard Stone Projects

Walkway

• One of the easiest stone projects for your yard is a walkway. Creating a path from your home to your garden or pool area not only prevents guests from walking on muddy grass but provides a decorative element to the landscape as well. Flagstone is an ideal material for a walkway and can provide a rustic, natural look that is ideal for a garden. You can dry lay your stone walkway in a stepping stone pattern by digging out areas for the individual stones and using a bed of sand or crushed stone to hold them in place. For a more formal look, you can use mortar to set your walkway.

Water Feature

• Installing a water feature is another way to incorporate stone into your yard's landscape. You can choose from a variety of options, including a waterfall, pond or fountain. A waterfall provides the most dramatic look and can vary in size depending on the available space in your yard. You can choose a variety of stones for the water to flow over to create a natural look. You may also use stones around a pond to help it blend in with the rest of the landscape. Place them on top of the liner to hold it in place. If you are looking for the easiest stone water feature project for your yard, a fountain is your best bet. You can purchase a pre-assembled fountain, so you simply have to place it in your yard and provide water. A variety of designs and styles are available for stone fountains as well, which allow you to match it to the rest of the landscape.

Retaining Wall

• If you have a garden that you want to block off or soil that you need to hold back, use stones to build a retaining wall in your yard. Like a stone path, you can use a dry-laid method for the wall, which calls for the stones to be placed in an interlocking pattern so gravity and friction hold them in place. However, you can also use mortar to secure the stones in place. If you are creating a dry-laid wall, limestone or sandstone are your best options because they are softer and you may need to cut the stones so they interlock with one another.

Patio

• To create an area for outdoor dining or entertaining, use stones to build a patio for your yard. Slate, sandstone and limestone are all attractive patio options and give the surface a natural, rustic look. You can create an informal patio by using stones in varying sizes and shapes or opt for a more formal look and have the stone cut to a uniform shape and size. As with a stone path or retaining wall, your stone patio may be dry-laid or mortared. A dry-laid patio tends to be easier to repair because you can easily remove a damaged stone and replace it. However, it can also pose a tripping hazard if stones come loose or begin to settle.