Stone design walkways make an excellent addition to any home. They can even increase the over-all value of the home while being useful and beautiful. Stone walkways are great for worn paths in your yard because they cover up the worn out area. The good news is that they are fairly easy to put in your yard and the transformation can be breath-taking.

Selecting the Stones

Prior to selecting the stones look at the area where the walkway will be. There are many durable and attractive stones that are excellent for stone design walkways. You can have complex designs such as a mosaic layout or you can even alternate two different complimentary stones in a basic layout. It is helpful to browse through a few gardening magazines to get a feel for the types, colors and texture of stones you would like to use for your stone design walkways.

Basic Layout

Select an area in your yard that is used for a walkway. Walk through the area a couple of times and use a piece of yarn or string to mark any plants that cause an obstruction in the path. The idea is to have a clear area to walk from point A to point B. If there are plants, these can be transplanted to a different area of your yard.

Cut multiple pieces of cardboard the approximate size of the stepping stones that you will use. Lay the pieces of cardboard scattered along the path. Walk the path only stepping on the pieces of cardboard. Adjust the position of the cardboards so that you can reach each one per step without having to over-extend your step. These pieces of cardboard will be your basic layout for the stone design.

Laying the Stones

Next, you need to prepare the walkway area. Any plants that you marked for obstructing the pathway transplant into another area of your yard. Lift the first piece of cardboard. Remove the sod with a shovel.

Dig a slight hole and fill with sand to make it completely level. This will keep your stones from wobbling or sinking down into the ground later. Place the stone on the sand. Repeat this until all the stones are laid.

Once all the stones are laid, walk through the stone designed walkway again. Double check that none of the stones are wobbling or shifting as you step on them. If they are fill in with more sand and make level. When you are happy with the stones being laid, rinse them with water from a garden hose. This will clean the stones and help to set the sand beneath them.

Replacement Sod

The sod that you removed to prepare the area for the stones can be laid between the stones. This will help to fill in the bare areas of the walkway without buying additional grass.

Rake the ground and loosen the dirt. Lay the sod in between the stones. Lightly tap the sod into the ground. Water thoroughly. If you have more sod than bare spots you can fill in other areas of your lawn that are bare.

Add a Border

Many stone design walkways have no borders. However, if you have a green thumb you can create a short border on both sides of the walkway. Evergreen perennials that bloom during the year and are short make an excellent border.

Chefs and cooking hobbyists can plant small, flowering herbs. These will give off a light scent as you use the stone designed walkways and be useful for cooking. Anytime you want a fresh herb you can simply go to your walkway to gather them for your meal.