No, that’s not a trick question. The obvious answer is “a seat wall is a wall to sit on”. That’s true, but I wanted to bring up some additional aspects of a seat wall.  For instance, what other functions do they serve and what else should you know about them?

In its simplest form a seat wall is generally built at a comfortable sitting height – somewhere around 18″. Like any wall it should be solidly built. The top or “capstone” should be level, substantial and secure. These walls see action – so give them the build integrity to deal with it.

Although many seat walls are built with two finished sides (i.e. front and back), some are also serving as a retaining wall (with one finished side). In the picture above this is the case.  This patio seat wall is supporting a raised garden.

However, as the grade level slopes down, the back of the wall becomes exposed. It’s now necessary to segue into two finished sides (picture at left).

What material options are there to build a seat wall?

Almost any material used for a wall in the landscape would work for a seat wall. But here are a few to consider:

• Natural stone: This is my personal favorite. Natural stone can be dry-stacked or installed with cement.
• Masonry Block With Veneer or Stucco: There are numerous veneers made of real and artificial stone that can be applied over a conventional block wall.  There are also stucco finishes that can be applied.
• Precast Modular Block: These are the manufactured wall systems.  Not my favorite choice for looks because I’m concerned this material will become outdated.

For Design and Purpose

Here are some functions and benefits served by a seat wall besides seating.

• Retaining Wall: I mentioned retaining wall use for the patio design above.
• Create An Outdoor Room: Any vertical element can help suggest a separate space or room.

• Integrate With Another Feature: such as a fire pit, water feature or outdoor kitchen.  You can also use a seat wall as the lower portion of an overhead structure such as a pavilion, gazebo or pergola. In the picture below the cedar posts are integrated into the seat wall build.  They support a cedar shake roof.
• Safety and Containment: If you have a raised patio or terrace, a seat wall around the perimeter can keep people contained and away from the dangerous edge. Make sure you check with the local construction office for building code that might pertain.  Sometimes an additional railing is required depending on code and circumstance.

Here are a few additional ideas to keep in mind.

At the end and at various intervals along the seat wall you can integrate piers.  These piers can help identify entrance points or visually break up the wall line.  Sometimes lighting is installed on the piers.

Decorative planters can also add a nice touch.  They too can be placed to distinguish an entrance or used as an occasional accent.

Capstones are somewhat of an independent element to the seat wall. Consider different capstones as another creative option in designing your wall.  I’ve even used natural stone such as bluestone and limestone to cap precast modular walls.

Construction Matters

You’ll hear the term dry-stack stone wall used. It’s basically a term that means the general construction of the wall does not happen on a concrete footing, but rather on a compacted gravel footing.

The stones are stacked on one another essentially using their position and gravity to lock them in place.  It’s not uncommon to use some mortar to “shim” and set some of the stones, especially the capstone.  Ideally the mortar does not show.

A masonry wall will have a legitimate concrete footing. Whatever material is used to build the wall on that footing (block, brick, stone, etc.) will use mortar to hold the pieces together.

A wall that includes any kind of veneer or stucco must be built on a concrete footing. If not the veneer and stucco can potentially crack and crumble.

Determine early on if lighting, audio or other utilities are part of the design.  If so, the conduits and wiring can be installed within the wall construction.

Drainage should be another consideration. Water and poor drainage can be problematic for construction.

For the structure itself you may want to install a perforated pipe and gravel as part of the base.  Water should never be allowed to collect at the base of the seat wall.

Grading is certainly another part of the drainage solution.  Always try to grade the surrounding areas so that runoff water moves away from the wall.

This is a general overview of seat walls.  There are numerous factors and circumstances that can affect the specific choices and build strategies. As always, check with the local building department to see if a permit is required and what the current wall building codes are.

As I always say and practice, check with the municipal building office for exact pool fence regulations.  There can be aspects of the code that are tweaked or interpreted a certain way and you need to know that.  I find it helpful to bring in a sketch (pictures too) and explain what you intend to do.  Do this early on and you can plan for the fence location and design right from the beginning of your project.

Pictured here is an area of pool fencing recently installed on a project of mine.  There is a change in levels created by a stone wall.  At this height change point the fence installer used a long post to make the transition.

The decorative aluminum fence ended on the top level and the vinyl coated chainlink fence picked-up at the lower level.  Everything should meet pool fence regulations…so we thought.

The inspector pointed out 2 issues needing attention:

1. An extension of the upper level fence is required where the height transition occurs.  This is to discourage a person from being able to use the top of the stone wall as a height advantage to climb over the fence.  Hmmm…good point!
2. The spacing between pickets on the decorative fence was over 4″ at two points.  The normal sections of this manufactured fence have consistent 4″ spacing.  This short section was cut to fit this narrow space and the end result was a 4 1/2″ space at one end, and a 4 1/4″ space at the other.  Hmmm…a bit of a stickler, wouldn’t you say?

The solutions to meet pool fence regulations:

1. For the extension piece in the height transition area the fence installer used a top rail secured at an angle with additional chainlink mesh.  This “angled” top rail solution is very strong by design.
2. For the fractional spacing issues on the decorative picket fence, a piece of chainlink mesh was attached.

Note: I don’t think there is a better color choice than black for a fence that you wish less noticed in the landscape.

Other Pool Fence Regulations To Be Aware Of

Fortunately these issues were easy to fix and the inspector appreciated the fact we had made the effort in every other regard to “get it right”.  This goes back to my point about visiting the town construction office at the early planning stage and discuss your intentions – priceless in terms of saving time and minimizing hassles.

Here are a few other pool fence regulations that are part of the BOCA (Building Officials and Code Administrators) pool safety codes.

• The pool fence must be at least 48″ high.
• If there are vertical pickets and horizontal rails, the distance between the horizontal rails can not be greater than 45″.
• The space between the ground and the fence can not be greater than 4″.
• Gates that are part of the pool fence enclosure must open out, away from the pool.
• Gates that are part of the pool fence enclosure must be self-closing and latching.
• All pool gate latches should be at least 54″ from the ground.

Sometimes these pool fence regulations are a matter of interpretation depending on the circumstance.  Have you ever had “a difference” of interpretation with an inspector?  How did that turn out?  Let us know in the comments.  We can all learn from these experiences.

One thing you learn from doing landscape renovation projects is what works and what doesn’t.  The test of time will often determine if something was built correctly or not.

And because our work is outside, never underestimate the affects of  mother nature on the materials you choose and how they are “put together”.  Sun exposure, shade, moisture, temperature, wind, soil type, drainage – these are just some of natures’ forces working against your creations.

Dave Kennedy of Lavelle Farms is handling all aspects of the exterior renovation of this home.  He has recommended to the homeowner a classic bluestone walkway.

This front walkway is one of several hardscape features the family want done as part of phase 1 in this renovation.

Base Prep – Step 1 To Building It Right

I’ll bet most people have heard the advice: “Build it on a good foundation”.  Truer words have never been spoken.

For a “dry-set” bluestone walkway, the base the bluestone sits on is essentially its foundation.

A dry-set bluestone walkway relies on a thick, compacted aggregate base that drains well.

What you’re walkway doesn’t want is:

• moisture building up underneath the stone.  Water can contribute to unstable conditions, and if it freezes can “heave” the surface stones out of position.
• loose or organic soil as part of the sub-base.  The earth that you ultimately build your walkway’s base on should be compacted sub-soil.  Top soils containing organics (such as leaf litter, roots, etc.) should never be used.  Soils like that should be removed.

After excavating for the bluestone walkway the sub-soil is compacted with a vibratory plate compactor.  Dave uses stringlines as a constant reference during construction.

All specifics such as walkway pitch and number of steps are worked out in the designing phase.

After sub-soil compaction Mirafi filter fabric is laid at the bottom and sides to keep the base material from mixing with the sub-soil.  In the picture above 3/4″ clean gravel is dumped onto the fabric to start the bluestone walkway base.

Do not add more than 6″ of base gravel at a time without compacting.

To set the actual bluestone a smaller diameter gravel is layered on top of the coarser gravel.  This smaller gravel also drains well and is easier to adjust when setting each stone.

The bluestone walkway is 5′ wide to comfortably handle two people walking side by side.  I would suggest not going under 4′ wide for a “primary” walkway.

The 2 steps are each solid bluestone with consistent 6″ risers.  Dave “hand-tooled” the sides to get the natural rock-faced look.

Natural Stone – A Good Choice

The final choice for the walkway’s surface should combine considerations for:

• Style and look.
• Function and durability.
• Cost to value.

This is a decision you’ll live with for some time.  Also, it could be a factor when and if you sell the house.  In terms of style, choose a material that’s classic and timeless.

Thinking again about the affects of nature over the long haul, is this material able to stand the test of time?  Will the color change or fade?  Will the actual material break down and fragment?  Is it slippery when wet?  Easy to shovel snow off?

In terms of cost to value it’s important to identify those features that are important to you and get proposals that will give those results.  You can then make the decision as to whether this cost is justified for your circumstance.

Natural stone always makes a good choice.  Certainly there are some bad choices among the natural stones too, but generally they offer timeless style, durability and good value.

Stone steps come in all styles.  Essentially their role is to get you from one level to another.

In good landscape design, how stone steps look is as important as how they function.  Frankly, that should be the case of every element in a well-designed landscape.

When we speak of the function for steps, it’s important to realize if these steps are the only option to get from one level to another.  Or, are there alternative ways in the design.

And if there are alternative ways, what role of importance will these particular steps provide?

If the area to access is important and only one set of steps is used, then they have to conform to the features of any safe and frequently used stairway.  In fact, depending on the situation, you may be subject to building code parameters.  As always, it’s smart to be up to speed on these regulations.

In the project pictured above there is a pool and patio level on top and a cobble-like paver walkway below.  There are 3 alternative ways to get from this lower level to the pool.

1. Near the driveway and where guests would enter the backyard there is a “primary” set of masonry steps with stone veneer risers and bluestone step treads.   I call them primary because this is the main set of steps to the area.

These masonry steps meet every requirement for safety including a handrail.  They did require a construction permit and were inspected.

2. At the other end of the pool/patio, the lower grade was sloped up to meet the patio.  This alternate access is grass and allows for an “easy-go” if you’re wheeling something or would just rather not navigate steps.

3. In between the masonry steps and the sloped lawn access we planned to have boulders and plantings to retain the earth.  While setting the boulders it came to us to offer a 3rd alternate access to the homeowner.  They have children who we thought would love a “rock-climbing-like” step/path down to the cobble walkway.  (See the first picture).

The Type Of Stone Step You Build Should Relate To Its Use

Here’s why these “rough” fieldstone steps work:

• they are not the only access
• they provide a  novel experience for the young & adventuresome.  (Not to say the older folks can’t give them a go too.)
• they add interest to the garden

These “rough” stone steps in the first picture were simply picked out of a stockpile of fieldstone boulders that were delivered.  By selecting rocks with flatter sides, “stone steps were born”.

If you wanted to have an informal and natural set of steps, but with a bit more consistency, stone slab-steps are available.  As seen in the picture to the right, these steps are more angular and come from the quarry in slabs.

Although they’re not dimensionally the same, you can request certain size ranges and that helps with building stone steps to fit your plan and vision.

To make the rise-height of each step the same, you can adjust the “setting bed” (usually gravel) to make the stone sit higher or lower.

There are other techniques which involve cutting the stone with a diamond blade to make it fit the situation.  I’m sure in future posts I’ll be able to show you some of these persuasive techniques.

Stone step design is only limited by your imagination.  How have you utilized rocks into stairways?  Let us know in the comments below.

The soaker hose provided one method to efficiently water plants by concentrating water over the root system.  This is essentially what drip irrigation does.

Drip irrigation is typically installed on the surface or slightly below.  The water is delivered by pipe and/or tubing and then dispersed through various types of emitters.  Often, drip irrigation zones are part of automatic systems with programmable controllers.

The basic, store-bought soaker hose we talked about in the last article can be installed as a simple and inexpensive drip-system.

The following pictures will help you visualize the process.  Click on any of them to get a larger version.

Picture 3

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 1 shows a group of “Emerald Green” Arborvitae that were recently installed.  The sandy soil and nearby maple tree has made it difficult to keep these new plants moist.  A basic soaker hose will do a great job of watering very efficiently.  Here’s how it’s done.

In picture 2 the mulch has been pulled back a comfortable distance of 2′ or so from the plants using a steel garden rake.  The soaker hose will be installed on top of the bare soil directly over the root balls.

This particular soaker hose is 50′ long with a threaded coupling at each end (1 male, 1 female).  This allows you to connect them for longer lengths if needed, but stay below 100′ for good operation.

For the 3 arborvitae the 50′ length is plenty.  In picture 3 the hose is measured and divided into 3 equal lengths…one section per plant.  Tape is used to mark the 2 points on the hose length to distinguish the 3 sections.  Now you have visual indicators for how much hose you can dedicate to each plant.

Picture 4

Picture 5

Picture 6

Start with the plant furthest from the water faucet.  Take the end of the soaker hose with the “male” threaded end and stake it to the ground just under the plant using a sod staple.  (This male end should have a cap on it.)  You’re really pushing the sod staple into the top of the root ball.

Now, as seen in picture 4, begin to circle the first plant with the soaker hose.  Be conscious of the tape marking the first of the 3 sections.  Remember, you want to dedicate a section per plant.  2 to 3 turns around each plant seemed to work well.  Stay relatively close to the plant to ensure you’re right over the root  ball.

Picture 5 shows the sod staples holding down the hose.  Use your judgement with where you position them.  Wherever the hose  is loose and won’t stay in position, that’s where you need a staple.

If you’ve divided the hose evenly between the 3 plants, the last one will have a few turns around it before you come to the end with the female coupling (picture 6).  Double check to make sure you have enough staples securing the soaker hose down.

Picture 7

Go ahead and connect a garden hose to the coupling so you can turn the water on and test the soaker hose.  Many come with a disc-like washer with a small (1/8″) hole in the center.  This is designed to reduce the house water pressure so the soaker hose operates correctly.

I find these disc washer pressure reducers (that’s a mouthful) annoying and prefer to remove them.  You could purchase a pressure regulator that attaches to the faucet, but if you just turn the faucet on a quarter to one-half turn, that works fine too.

You want the water to “sweat” from the hose’s pores something like in picture 7.  Adjust the faucet until you see it “sweating” adequately.

With the soaker hose secured to the ground and tested, you can now replace the mulch around the plants.

The mulch hides the hose and insulates the ground so it stays moist longer.  If you need to test and see how the hose is performing, it’s easy to expose.

How much and how long to water?

The answer to this question is always “it depends”.  There are numerous variables such as soil type, size of plant, time of year, etc. that will determine the watering amount and schedule.  And, of course, the schedule will change with time.

These arborvitae were initially watered every other day for one hour each time.  Arborvitae, by their nature, prefer moist conditions.  The sandy soil and root competition from the maple tree also influenced a “generous” watering schedule to start.

After 10 days or so we changed the schedule to once every 3rd day.  That’s where we’re at now and I’ll continue with that until this heat spell breaks.

Testing the soil moisture below ground is and always will be the best indicator for a plant’s water needs.  I use a moisture meter all the time because it’s critical for me to know what’s going on down there.

Most people don’t have a moisture meter, so try pushing a metal rod or long screwdriver into the ground near the plant.  When you pull the rod out look to see if the metal is moist or there’s moist soil on it – that’s a good sign.  If the rod is wet and muddy, the soil is probably too wet. If the rod comes out dry, increase the watering amount and/or schedule.  At the very least, pull the mulch back near the plant and check the soil beneath.  See if it looks and feels moist.

Watering and irrigation is a huge topic and I’ll continue to present aspects that should be considered for healthy plants.

What experiences have you had with keeping plants properly watered?  Have you lost plants from over-watering?

When I use the term “core” I’m referring to the center of the plant’s root ball.  A nursery plant that’s been dug, balled & burlapped (B&B) is now totally reliant on that root ball to keep it alive.

One of the major concerns of everyone handling and caring for that plant should be to keep the root ball adequately moist all the way through to its center or “core”.

Here’s why that’s so important.  Undoubtedly all nursery plants will have their “ups and downs” with moisture availability due to varying conditions and circumstances.  Typically the root ball will begin to dry on the exterior.  If moisture is not provided, the dryness will continue towards the center.

If the dryness travels too far into the root ball:

1. In all likelihood the plant will be severely stressed and damage will occur.
2. Restoring moisture back “to the center” of the root ball can be slow and difficult.

The trick is to not let the root ball get to that point.

If you watch and monitor the moisture levels of your nursery plants (whether they’re above ground or planted) :

• It’s easier to maintain consistent moisture throughout the root ball.  Dry soil can become “hydrophobic,” making it very hard to re-wet.

• You avoid plant stress that could be irreversible.  Yes plants often bounce back from early stages of dryness, but if the dryness is prolonged and represents drying “to the core” it’s not good.

How To Maintain Moisture Levels

Consistency is the name of the game.  If the nursery plant is being stored above ground, it is that much more challenging because the root ball is exposed to sun & wind.  Whether you’re watering by hand, sprinklers or a drip system designed for nursery stock, be vigilant.

If the tree has been planted, consistency is still key, but being in the ground helps tremendously (no pun intended).  The earth protects the root ball and insulates to help moderate temps. and slow moisture loss.  Still, the plant is losing moisture through its leaves (transpiration) and the soil is gradually draining & drying.

Sprinklers will work  for the most part, but again, consistency is key.  The watering must work its way from the surface down to the “core” of the root ball.  With a steady watering schedule the moisture level should be maintained through all the soil levels.

Sod staples hold pipe to the ground

During these hot summer months in particular, we’ve been using 2 watering methods to ensure our larger, recently installed plants are kept moist “to the core”.

The pictures above show basic, store-bought soaker hose being used.  I’ve coiled a 50′ length around the base of this newly planted tree using sod staples to hold the hose down.

The root ball on this plant is 42″ wide.  It’s imperative this tree stay moist to the center of the root ball.

Every few days the homeowner connects a regular water hose to the soaker and lets it run for just 10 minutes.  We found that this schedule during this hot, dry weather is adequate to keep the root ball moist.

The other method we use is the “Treegator”.  The one in the picture holds 20 gals. of water.  It’s designed with a zipper from top to bottom so you can wrap it around the trunk.

Treegator

With the Treegator the concept is that the water-bag (or reservoir) be filled with a hose and then allowed to drain gradually by itself.  It can take several hours for the bag to empty.

Both these methods concentrate water directly over the root ball where it can seep in without much “runoff”.

I should mention that it’s equally important to monitor the moisture levels below the ground while these watering methods are being used.  Keeping the plant moist is important, but “over-watering” can have damaging affects on plants.

Irrigation is such an important part of plant health and it seems the least understood.  I’m going to continue to write about it in the hopes that this basic fundamental of plant care is better understood and practiced.

There are so many “tricks of the trade” and techniques for watering.  If you have one I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

Let me first suggest tell you that you need to measure the elevations (vertical heights) in the area your designing your walk and/or steps.  Grades & pitch can be very deceptive.  Even after 30 years experience I will not “go by eye” on this one. It’s suggested that the maximum slope for walks be 10%.  Or, in other words, 12″ of rise over 10′ of walk.

In my opinion, walks should not exceed a 5% slope (or 12″ of rise over 20′ of walk).  Often it comes down to personal preference.  So if you’re building this walk for someone, make sure they understand what you’re proposing.  More on how to show them your idea(s) in a bit.

In the first picture the walkway seems to be pitched around 12″ over 10′ of walk (or 10%).  The entrance to this walkway (2nd picture) appears to be even steeper.

Now here I am telling you to always measure elevations and I can’t give you the specifics on this walk.  That’s because it’s not my project and I didn’t want to get arrested for trespassing. (I’m losing my sense of adventure.)

With exact elevation measurements you can calculate your different design concepts and compare them to one another.

You can always first consider some “creative” re-grading, but often “steps” are the best way to mitigate a steep walkway.

Seeing Is Believing

Most people have a hard time visualizing things.  I use mock-ups of all kinds to help others and myself really see what’s planned and possible.

I’ll sometimes illustrate an idea for a walkway and/or steps using stakes and a string line.  When set up exactly at the proposed heights, they show the profile of the walk’s surface (pitch) and the risers & treads of the steps.  This let’s the homeowner (and myself) see how it will potentially look.  I find that this simple mock-up always clears up any uncertainty and prevents any design regrets after construction.

Things To Consider When Building Landscape Steps

• Do not compromise on the base for the steps.  If they are masonry steps you should have a concrete footing according to local code.  If they are dry-set steps (stone, cast concrete or timber) you should have a well-compacted aggregate base.  Nothing is worse than steps that “move” over time because of poor base and footing work.
• For landscape steps the riser should be greater than 4″, but no more than 6 ½”.  There are always going to be exceptions, but try to stay within these parameters.
• Here’s a simple formula for calculating the riser height and tread length:  2 (riser) + tread = 26″.   For example, if the riser is going to be 6″, then : 2 (6) + 14 = 26″.   So the tread should be 14″.  Again, use this as a “guideline”.
• Where steps return into the surrounding sloped grade, make sure the step has “finished” sides that are nice to look at.  On the same note, make sure the sloped sides of earth are stabilized to support & conceal the base work for the steps.  Groundcover, grass and even decorative boulders can help with this.

Planning landscape steps and walks really supports the idea that form should follow function.  And yet personal preference always plays a part in the final solution.  What say you?  Feel free to comment.

There is so much to gain by understanding and using plant groupings (or “plant massings” as they are sometimes called).

Design With An Appropriate Setting In Mind

“Uh-oh” you say, “he’s getting into subjective territory”.  Maybe so, but think about it.  To make something appropriate is: to make suitable; to make suitable for the context in which it occurs.

If something is unsuitable or out of the realm of what you’d expect, you’re not going to feel comfortable with it.  If there’s any experience you want people to have in your design, let it be a pleasant and comfortable one.

How do you decide on what is appropriate?

Hmmm.  Good question.  Again, we’re going to skirt on the notion of subjectivity, but maybe it can be viewed very simply.

You wouldn’t wear a tuxedo to a barbecue would you? (College years excluded.)  Of course not.  It’s just not appropriate.  It wouldn’t look right and it sure wouldn’t feel right.

Before putting a pencil to paper, survey the setting – look at the surroundings.  Consider the feature or intended use of the space (recreation, entertaining, interest garden, etc.).  With all things considered, if this intended setting was here and occurred naturally, how might it look?

In the pool setting above imagine what the property looked like before.  The large trees were existing and the land was raised going towards the back.

With the intent of designing a pool in an appropriate setting, how do you think this would naturally occur?

Conceptually the pool would be irregular in shape, it would more likely occur in a lower position relative to the slope, and it would be surrounded by naturalized plantings.

No doubt you’ll have specific feature requests that you must work with – like the paver bricks used for this pool patio.  (Irregular flagstone would have worked well.)  But if you always keep in mind your general concept of what’s appropriate in the design, you can’t go wrong.

The look of natural flagstone set in grass can be beautiful if done correctly and used in the right situation.

The turf in-between the stones softens the overall look of the path which can help distinguish it from other primary walkways.  At the same time this technique can subtly  connect different “points” in the landscape and direct the eye and traffic.

From a practical standpoint the stone path gives everybody a clean, solid surface to walk on in the event the grass is wet and/or soft.

The process of installing a path like this will vary slightly depending on circumstances such as the condition of the existing lawn.   Or, perhaps there is no lawn to begin with and you want to achieve this look.

The following installation will show the fundamentals.  If you have questions on a particular circumstance you may be dealing with, leave a “comment” and I’ll help you out.

Flagstone path stone selection

Flagstone Quality And Layout Are Important

Choose a type of flagstone that is dense and solid.  Stay away from slates and other types that flake, fragment and deteriorate over time.

You want the majority of pieces to be larger in size and no less than 1.5″ thick.  The idea here is that greater size and weight give stability – this is key.

Purchase and layout a good selection of flagstone so you have pieces to choose from.  Notice how plywood is used to protect the paver driveway.

Flagstone path layout

Before you begin the actual site work and preparation, arrange the stones on top of the existing lawn how you would ultimately like them to look.

In this picture to the right the stones are set and ready to be installed.  The homeowner requested that the space between the stones be kept close.  Compare this to the first photo at the top.  This is a different project where spacing was made wider.  Keep in mind the spacing must be wide enough to support the living grass.  Arrange the flagstones no closer than 1.5 – 2.0″ apart.

Remove existing lawn

Preparation And Installation Of Flagstone

The next step after arranging the flagstones is to prepare the base for installation.

Step one, removing the existing lawn, was fairly easy on this job.  The grass happened to be recently planted sod and was not yet deeply rooted.

Working in sections, move 3 – 4 stones at a time off to the side.  The sod can then be peeled back and the stones replaced to their set positions.

Realize, of course, that if you had a well established lawn, removing it would most likely involve some other strategy.  Again, which tactic you use to remove the grass depends on the circumstances.

Base preparation and flagstone setting

With the flagstones now sitting on bare ground, you are ready to prepare the base on which you’ll set the stones.

Trace the outline of the stone on the ground with a pointed tool of some sort – a trowel works fine.  Using a spade dig down 5 – 6″ within the outlined area.

In this excavated space install 3 – 4″ of crushed gravel.  We like to use gravel no larger than 1/4″ diameter.  It’s small enough to “move & level” with a trowel, compacts well and drains nicely too.

Now sometimes it gets difficult during this base preparation to preserve the narrower strips of earth between stones.  The key is to preserve or replace soil in these narrow strips so they can support grass. If it becomes too difficult to preserve these narrow strips of soil and they combine with the gravel base, take care to ultimately fill these voids with as much soil as possible.  For grass to survive in that narrow space, it must have a deep root system in soil.

Flagstone can be cut if necessary

A flagstone path in a lawn is meant to be informal.  Although you can see line design and pattern, there is still irregular shapes in the stone.  The pattern, which unifies the path, is achieved by relating the shape of each stone to one another.

Sometimes, no matter how much stone you have to pick from, you simply can’t find a good match.  This is the time to create the shape yourself by cutting the stone.

In the picture above we’ve arranged the path to widen at the top of a stairway.  Unable to find a stone to fit the situation, we overlapped one stone over another.

Flagstone cut and installed

Before making the cut we first mark a line on the bottom stone.  This line mirrors the shape of the stone above with a 2″ space.

The cut is actually made with a diamond blade.  Although diamond blades can be fitted on different types of power saws, here a 2 stroke cut-off saw was used.

After the cut is made the fresh-cut edge is “distressed” with a mason’s hammer to make it look more natural.

This last picture also shows a string-line set up.  The string is set at an equal height from the “finish grade” at each end of the walk.  You can check the uniformity of height and pitch of your walk by referencing this line at any point.  Realize, however, that there are times when your walk’s finished height may have to follow a particular grade contour that is critical for drainage.  Again, this is a particular circumstance you’ll have to identify on your site and adjust to accordingly.

The basic tools for actually setting the flagstones are a mason’s trowel and rubber mallet. The trowel lets you move and adjust the gravel base while the rubber mallet lets you tap the surface of the stones to set them firmly.  As mentioned, the string line is helpful to check your walk’s height and pitch.  A tape measure is used constantly.  And last but not least, a bubble-level is important to check each stone.  Also, by bridging the level from one stone to the next you can check the “height / pitch” relationship of one stone to the other.

Let’s take another visit to the lake home and landscape project by East Coast Landscape.  In the last post we traveled down natural stone steps alongside a well-built and engineered waterfeature.

We’re now almost to the shoreline and standing on a wide path covered in woodchips.  This path actually travels a roundabout and gradual climb up to the main house.  It serves as both an alternate route for a casual (and longer) stroll, and also provides access for smaller equipment to get closer to the lake.

Combining Natural and Man-Made Elements

It is at this point where the cascading water coming down the rocky slope meets with a natural stream.

Alan Goodell from East Coast Landscape explains how this convergence of the two water features was handled.  At the base of the slope a retention pond was built using more boulders to echo the existing rockery.  Both the natural stream and the constructed waterfall enter into this pond.

While looking like just another natural occurring feature, this engineered pond allows the two water sources to be “managed” properly.  A weir is built below one of the bridges as part of the water management system.  The water flow and level of the pond can be adjusted as needed.

On the other side of the bridge the water exits after flowing over the pond weir.  This last part of the journey for the water before entering the lake is another display of cascades over rockery.

Notice how the plantings between the stone helps to unite the boulder groupings and then visually ties everything in to the surroundings.  I actually had to look closely to distinguish between the natural and man-made parts of the project.

The Beach And Dock Area

From the wood chip path there’s only a short stretch to the lake.  East Coast constructed a wide belgian block ramp that leads to the open-front pavilion.

The belgian block cobble provides a stable, strong surface.  It naturally has a nubby texture for traction and sure-footing.  Belgian block, as a dimensional, thick, heavy paver can conform to the subtleties of the slope.   Also, its gray tones blend well with the surroundings.  I like the way the belgian block pavers combine to meet the flagstone in front of the pavilion.  Different paving elements that connect can be challenging in design.

The pavilion has an open-front and together with the flagstone patio offers a spacious room for all sorts of activities. From the pavilion there are several stone slab-steps to the beach and dock area.

The trek from the house down to the lake was certainly not an effort.  In fact, I wish it had continued!

In design, if you can bring people to a point where they are no longer thinking about the clock and perhaps what else they should be doing, you’ve created something special.

On a project like this it is an appreciation and respect for the surroundings.  The natural conditions are simply too powerful to try and manipulate them in any other way than how they naturally want to be.