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Made a mess of pebble path: Any suggestions

jules99

By Jules99

South Yorkshire, United Kingdom Gb

After having a patio built I suddenly became interested in gardening. I had just long grass in my garden for 12 years with just a few shrubs around the side and an apple tree I planted (now in the wrong place I feel - see my other question). Once planting was finished, I was eager to further improve and having just a rectangular piece of grass at the bottom of the garden(extends to the left hand side too). I decided to create a pebble path. I hadn't a clue what I was doing but got carried away in the excitement of my new hobby. I dug far too deep and temporary edged it with some cheap willow pieces. This didn't look great at all.

My problem is now, all the willow has come off and I'm left with just pebbles and want to get rid of them (and the grass).

Any suggestions of how I can make it look better without paying a fortune for it to be done professionally with paving stones. I am not able to do the hard work myself. Even digging the grass up and pebbling would be too much hard work for me but could get a gardener to do this - just not sure if it would look good?

Also my garden slopes towards the bottom which makes it even harder for me to pebble.

Any ideas appreciated. Would have liked to have put two photos here to show before the path.

Thankyou



After_misc

Answers

 

Have you cemented the pebbles in? How big are the pebbles? A closer picture of the path would be useful. You can put some nice flag stones spaced out evenly along the path and plant thyme or sedum by the flagstones to break them up. Plant a line of dwarf lavendar where the willow edging is and you will be able to step over it

17 May, 2009

 

Hi Just wondering where the path leads to? and do you need it so wide or at all. I quite like the grass and if you took it up what would you put in its place have you thought? Think I would take path out completely, turf or grass seed area then some stepping stones curving round to the other end of garden. If you bury slabs just below grass level could just be mowed straight over. Looks as if at moment every time you walk on path you must sink into it. Did you put any membrane under before laying it?, would make it easier for you (or some helper) to collect it up. Someone will alway take it off your hands i'm sure! Has the makings of a nice space.

17 May, 2009

 

Watch my garden photos. I will be putting a photo up of how I dealt with a very awkward muddy strip infront of my lean to greenhouse. The digging I did to make the footings level for the lean to and my raised bed were quite deep at one end and just enough at the other. Being a good Yorkshire lad and not wanting to spend too much brass I reused the stone removed during the project. The stone was set on a flat bed of very dry mix mortar made 3 builders sand, 1 sharp sand 1 cement. The job which is 3' x 2 meters varied in depth from 50mm to 4". The stone thickness was also very varied from 3" to 12mm. I did it in three or four bits working from the fence towards the existing path. I made the stone surface level with the base of my raised bed and wooden support for my lean to. To aide me in this I had a bit of gaff 75mm x 50mm wood.

The process of levelling was quite hard work I had to put each stone down then gently knock it level. If it wouldnt I the had to scrape some of the mortar away and then repeat. After each small bit which was about 450mm deep I pointed the gaps with this dry mixture. On completion approx 4 hours I brrushed the loose mortar away.

The whole thing was left for two days to harden. Then for a week I used a board to spread my weight.

I quite like the result, given time it will mellow. Also I have a hard surface to walk on in Winter.

The area took 5.5 bags of builders sand 1.5 bags of course sand and 1.5 bags of cement -- total cost £20 approx.

Of course if your excavations are too deep then you could make the level up with ballast (approx(£2.50 per bag). You need about 50mm below the level of the pebbles of mortar.

You could also use a mortar mix with no water and that would make levelling easier, of course it would take about a month then to go hard - during which time you couldnt use it.

11 Aug, 2009

 

I have now put the photos I mentioned up on this site.

11 Aug, 2009

 

Just a thought. Ive looked at your photo again. You know you say a pebble path. Do you mean the gravel path, in which case my advice is not too relevant. But thats what I did to deal with a tricky muddy problem at very low cost.

11 Aug, 2009

How do I say thanks?

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