Tools: Tape measure; garden hose; mattock; shovel; rake; wheel barrow; lump hammer; bolster; hardwood stakes; plate compactor (hired); safety glasses.

Materials: Select locally available materials to suit the garden, such as decomposed granite or crushed limestone for the base, and sandstone, limestone, granite or basalt for the edging.

STEP 1
Lay out the path perimeter with non-kinking garden hose or rope. Make your curves gentle and natural looking. The overall width of the path shown here varies from 760mm to 1m, which includes the edging. The path widens to 1400mm at its ends to create a welcoming feel for visitors. Avoid a loose-stone path that leads directly to a door of the house, otherwise stones and dust will be constantly tracked indoors.


STEP 2 Drive stakes into the ground along the perimeter of the path, keeping them close enough to each other to maintain smooth-flowing curves.
Avoid running the path too close to trees and large shrubs. Their roots will make digging difficult, and if you cut through too many of them, you could kill the plant.
 

STEP 3 Dig the soil out between the stakes to a depth of 150mm. Use a square-nosed spade to trim the edges neatly. Dig a deeper trench for the edging, making it 25mm less in depth than the width of the stones you intend to use. If the soil under the path is heavy clay, that does not absorb water, or if your path is in a low-lying area, consider digging out an extra 75mm from the base and adding 75mm of coarse gravel (about 12mm size) for drainage. Unless you have a place on your property where you can use the soil you dig out, you will have to dispose of it. The cost will depend on how much soil you have and how far it has to be carted. You may need a builder’s skip if there is a lot to move.


STEP 4 Place all the edging stones loosely in the trench. Select stones with end shapes that more or less fit together. The stones come in random lengths, so use the shorter ones to create the curves. The goal is to have the edging stone extending above the surrounding soil by about 25mm.

 

 

STEP 5 Dig out or fill in the trench bottom to level each stone as you fit them end-to-end. A 1200mm level will help to give an overall impression of whether the stones are horizontal or not, but because they are so irregular, you will have to rely largely on eye. Some paving sand in the bottom of the trench will help with this operation. [Suggest insert… ‘When filling in make sure you compact the new soil thoroughly so that edging stones seated on the filled-in area do not subside over time as the soil compacts.’]


STEP 6 Anchor each stone in place by heaping up a ridge of supporting soil about 50mm against its inside bottom edges (a fairly dry sand and cement mix about-10:1- will create an even stronger support). Dig soil from the middle of the path for this purpose. Use your feet to press the soil tightly along the bottom of the stones. Now fill in behind the stones with soil, as shown below. Pack it tightly with the edge of a spade, but do not overfill to the point of dislodging the stones.


STEP 7 Dump crushed limestone or decomposed granite into the pathway. Level it with a rake as you go so you can wheel each succeeding barrow load over the surface. Alternatively, start laying fill at the far end of the path to make wheeling the barrow backwards and forwards easier. The surface of the crushed stone should lie about 40mm below the tops of the edging stones.

 

STEP 8 Tamp the crushed limestone or decomposed granite with a petrol-driven plate compactor. Make three or four runs, using your feet to stamp down spots the compactor can’t reach. Now spread another layer over the already compacted material, levelling it so that it finishes about 25mm below the tops of the edging. Make a final series of runs with the compactor.
 

Cutting Stone
Cut the stones only where necessary to get an approximate fit. Score the stones with a wide masonry chisel (or bolster) and a lump hammer on all four sides, then strike along the width with the chisel until the stone cracks. Wear safety glasses and gloves.
 

 

 

Chip off any small irregularities where necessary for an end-to-end fit, but do not overwork the stone.