How to Landscape with Stone Work

Draw your landscape area on graph paper, noting existing gardens and sitting areas. Identify the areas where stone will have the most visual impact. Decide on the function you want them to serve, whether you intend to lay a stone walkway or edge gardens.

Outline the chosen area with landscape paint. If you're laying a walkway, make the width at least 4 feet to accommodate wheelchairs and groups of people. If you're installing the stones as edging, the outlined width should be equal to the width of the stones, plus 2 inches.

Prepare the site by unearthing grass and dirt with a squared shovel. Remove 8 inches for a walkway or patio and 6 inches for edging. Rake the loose dirt at the bottom of the site to level it out then compact it with a manual tamping tool.

Pour 3/4-inch crushed concrete or aggregate into the site and rake it evenly. Continue adding the fill until you have a base 6 inches thick for a walkway or patio and 4 inches thick for edging. Tamp the base down to wedge the particles together as tightly as possible.

Shovel 1-1/2 inches of grit sand over the base to level it out.

Begin in the middle of one end of the site and place the stone work in your chosen pattern. Traditional patterns to choose from include basket weave, half basket weave and herringbone. Work your way out to the edges, leaving no more than 1/4-inch gaps between the stones. If you're installing edging, set the stones in the site side-by-side and level until the site is filled.

Pack fine-grained sand or stone dust into the joints and crevices with a shop broom to cushion the stones. Moisten the dust and add more until the crevices are filled. The stone dust will cling to stones as it dries, bonding adjacent stone like concrete.