hey all. want to create this garden path (AI generated currently). I have a bunch of brocken pavers, real ones at the front of the image. want to use them in a jaggered way with grass growing up in the cracks.
what's the best way to do this.
I imagine the easiest would be to dig out a channell for the depth of the pavers + what ever needs to underneath. my question is what's best way to so this for longevity. the lawn is not level to begin with and not looking to make it level.
ive seen three options. dig out the channel enough so the pavers sit just under the level of soil, then compact the soil, fill the edge with soil compact and re grass seed. the other options would be similar but dig a bit further for a layer of morter to hold the pavers in place or a layer of sharp sand to do a similar thing.
I'm thinking Maybe a layer of sand so the grass can still grow through it. thoughts?
by Wild-Tangerine-9031
5 Comments
Dig out 6″ of soil on the strip. Use a metal edging strip to keep the stones from shifting. Use a compacted road base to keep the pavers level. Then use a mix of soil and grit like Turface at a 1:2 ratio. Level off this mix with the top of the stones if you want plants to grow. Keep in mind you’ll need to trim it back regularly as maintenance.
I wouldn’t go sand-only. That tends to shift over time, especially with freeze/thaw. The most solid setup is digging down a bit, then putting in a compacted layer of crushed stone for stability, followed by a thin layer of sharp sand or stone dust just for leveling. That gives you longevity but still keeps the rustic look you want. I’d skip mortar since it’ll fight the natural style and is more likely to crack. Then just leave slightly wider gaps and fill them with soil and seed so you still get that grass growing through effect.
I would not advise trying to grow grass between pavers. It’s a fun idea but in practice never ends up looking good and often becomes overrun with opportunistic weeds that will grow better than the grass.
Just do a normal walking path.
I have these and moss ended up growing in between them which was nice. Idk if you can promote or plant moss? But the moss was better than grass imo
Forget the mortar plan entirely. Laying pavers straight on dirt is a guaranteed way to get sunken ankle breakers that shift and heave when the ground settles or gets wet. You want a flexible system. Dig a channel about four or five inches deep. Put down a couple inches of crushed gravel and compact it hard. Add an inch of sharp sand on top to level things out. Tap your broken pavers into the sand with a heavy rubber mallet so they sit firm.
For the gaps straight sand will not grow the thick grass you are looking for in that picture. You need to sweep a half and half mix of good topsoil and sand into the joints. Pack it down tight leaving a little recess then drop your seed in and water it gently until it takes off. The sand gives the roots drainage and the soil actually feeds the grass.
The absolute most important detail here is the final height. Make sure the top of those stones sits just a hair below your standard mower deck setting. If you leave them sitting too high you are going to destroy your mower blade and rip the stones right out of the ground the first time you try to cut that path.