With the snow falling around here my thoughts have gone to garden "improvement" (and some winter sowing!). Does anyone have experience with stone walkways? I am trying to decide between a stepping stone pathway (with creeping thyme interdispersed)or a full stone pathway (ideally with lving or brown material in the "dead" areas (not crushed gravel). Also, width? wheelbarrow accessibility? etc.. Thanks for all your help.
Zone 5, southern NH - "Trying to make the Earth say beans instead of grass" - Henry David Thoreau
On our front walkway, we replaced the loose stone walkway with 1x1 concrete pavers laid 2 wide down the length of the walkway. Makes it a LOT easier walking PLUS is much easier to shovel snow. Since my veggie garden is tiny, I used them in a single width as a walkway between the raised beds. A wheelbarrow can eaisily manage the front walkway, but the garden walk is just to narrow. Then again, the veggie garden is so tiny, I really don't NEED to get a wheelbarrow in there.
I like stepping stone pathways, but done hastily, they can disappear before you get good use out of them. First, don't skimp on the big stones. The bigger the stone, the more flat, sturdy surface. Second, lay a weed fabric under the whole affair to keep the stones from sinking slowly, inexorably into the soil. Go ahead and put crushed stone in between the big stones, if you like...I prefer a mix of two parts soft sand, two parts sharp sand, one part decomposed granite or limestone chat to one part cement. Mix it dry and lay the stone on it. Then, dig out the areas to be planted, and plant the filler plants, and then water it all in. It sets with the water, but not so hard that the filler plants cant get a roothold and creep along. Use filler plants that don't mind a limey soil, though, like Thyme, silver edged horehound...etc...
