How to Create a Rock or Shell Path

Get the Mud Off Your Shoes

The Tropical Grower is sharing How to Create a Rock or Shell Path this week in the hopes you’ll get the mud off your shoes.  Both Rock and Shell paths, or whole areas, add texture to your garden.  Layers of interest, contract, and color.  They define space.  Give your areas finished looks, and they absolutely help keep the mud off your shoes.

While it doesn’t take any special skills, it does take some work, and unless you have Shell or Rock readily available in your yard, it isn’t particularly cheap.  But there are few things more versatile or completely transforming than adding some Shell or Rock.  You can do everything from a large dark stone path to a small white shell sitting area.  Creative and fun.  We particularly like Rock or Shell borders. Ooo-la-la.

Hard or Soft Path

The very 1st thing you need to decide is whether you want a Soft crunchy walk or a Hard finished one.  It’s obviously less work and you don’t have to buy mortar or cement with a Soft Shell or Rock path, but you will need Borders or a way to contain them and you will need to figure out how to keep them from sinking.  You will also need more rock. Well, need/want, it’s a toss-up. A deeper layer of rock works better in a soft path. Sweeping Rock or Shell into empty spots on your path isn’t really the way you want to be spending your time in the garden, or maybe it is. It’s a personal space, up to you.

For a Hard path you will need to figure out how much construction you’re willing to do.  If you’re thinking sidewalk quality, then you will need form boards or special equipment.  Our brick paths are laid that way.  That’s a little outside the scope of what we are talking about here.  We’re talking about mortaring rock into an area, not raised concrete or paver paths.   While you’re thinking about it, you should probably first define your space.

Define Your Space

Exactly what do you want?  A Soft crunchy Rock Walk through your Tunnel that has become a mudhole?  A hard surface that will hold up to lots of traffic?  To define an area with color and texture for impact?  A rock filled entry you can sweep?  A Shell Circle to simply define an area for fun? A space to hold back the lawn?  Whatcha got?  What do you need?

We have numerous areas of Rock and Shell throughout Our Garden.  Usually, they define themselves based on existing beds, how we use areas and what we want them to become.  Often, I will decide something is too much work and needs some changes in a less exhausting direction.  Then, I will choose: rock, shell, weed mat or mulch based on the area and how much money I have at the moment.  Broke means natural mulch.  LOL!  We actually prefer natural mulch paths in the back.  I’m making walking trails with my little chipper.

Our Garden also has Rock or Shell outlining beds.  The purpose is a ‘gap area’ between the grass and planting beds to spray for both weeds and bugs.  It goes grass, border, rock, border and finally planting bed.  You can think whatever you like, I love this arrangement.  It makes my life easier.

Drainage

The next thing you need to think about is Drainage.  Once you know what you want, it has to drain, especially if you are planning something Hard.  Every lot has a Drainage Plan, the way your lot was designed when your house was built to drain water off it.  They are particularly picky in permitting about making sure houses don’t flood.  If you have a really old house, it might be lacking in the construction plans, but your lot does drain.

Since you want to start with a relatively level surface, following a natural or permitted grade, it’s good to know what that is.  Since I can’t tell you what it is in your yard, you’ll have to do a little research, or at the very minimum, pay attention to the grade, the direction water flows and how fast, in the area and follow it.  Water runs faster down steep slopes, more level slopes slows water down. You don’t want to flood what you just created or worse, another area of your yard.  Tearing out something you’ve spent so long creating is no fun.

Clear & Level Your Area

Now that you have an area in mind or a path, it’s time to clear it of all vegetation and debris, physically outlining the area by clearing the space.  This is usually the part where what is in your mind takes shape and you clearly define what the challenges are going to be for it.  Mine is without fail, thinking too big.  Chuckling here.

At this point, you’re going to figure out whether there is a stump, there isn’t enough clearance for the lawn mower, or whatever annoyance is going to pledge this project for you.  Oh, is that just me?  Clearly defining your problems helps figure out solutions.  Great. 

Make It Flat

It also has to be level, flat. How level is up to you. If you think you can leave a bunch of pockmarks, lumps, and holes, you’re going to need bunches of Rock or Shell, and you’re going to have to continually level it out. You can see it, if you don’t. Unlevel ground also doesn’t drain very well. See Above.

Ideally, you want level ground sloping with the required grade. That’s flat ground, going with how your yard is supposed to drain. It follows the hill, has one end that’s a tiny bit higher, or it holds water there during certain times of the year. If it holds water after rains, you need to make sure it’s not holding it there instead of your house before you think about keeping your feet dry there.

We sloped the drainage directly off the back of the pool cage towards the drainage ditch, which is really just dry detention in our Yard for the Raised Row Crop Beds. For more on laying the Rock border check out How to Make Raised Beds with Recycled Pots.

Soft Shell or Rock Paths

In the mornings when the dogs come out for their morning walk, we crunch quietly through the Tunnel and out into the back area.  It’s such a pleasant sound.  Back around, coming in through the arch entrance, it’s the last sound before you hit the door.  Know what you want, how you use an area, and it becomes apparent what you need to get it there.

Loose Rock Path

Our Tunnel was becoming awesome, but the ground was mud most of the year.  Dang.  We laid Rock.  If I had it to do over, I probably would have made this a mulch path.  The problem with the Rock in the Tunnel is the constantly dropping debris all over it.  I sweep it, and it works.  It also throws rock everywhere. So, there is sweeping and raking rock, but no cleaning up mud.

Now, that being said, it does sound awesome.  It literally is the perfect sound for the vegetated walk.  Its clearly defined space also makes it perfect to contain rock.  It accommodates mild flooding without sloshing through puddles, and it just looks pretty.

Containment

If you are dealing in loose Shell or Rock, you want containment.  You don’t want to be kicking it out of the area every time you walk through.  That means you have to pick it up.  Boo.  Hiss.  

The size of the borders or other containment measures you use should be directly proportionate to the size of your Rock or Shell.  Small Shell or Rock actually gets kicked around more, higher and further than large rock which is disturbed less. Huh, imagine that.

Borders

We have several different border types for the Soft Rock Path.  Lining the sides, we are using our standard Cut Log lengths.  These are large, and it’s a rare day I find a wayward rock in the planting beds.  

On the north end, we have a length of PVC border buried with several pavers.  We like the PVC borders you bury.  Most of it goes underground, you trench it in, and a little lip sticks out to keep the Rock or Shell from being kicked out.  It’s short and soft enough not to trip over, but it does a good job of holding-in loose materials.  Mostly, sometimes they get kicked up, or dragged by the County Compost Waste Cans.  Yeah, I drag those everywhere, especially in the Tunnel to ‘Cut into Can’.

Mortared Mosaic

The south end has a mortared mosaic which will one day blend with the mortared Kentucky Flagstone walk.  Both are currently in need of repair due to hurricane flooding.  I should have done it this winter.  I didn’t.  These are less proficient at holding in the rock.  I have to sweep it back in its area when I take out the vegetation. The mosaic was completed prior to spreading the Rock, but it was not mortared in until all the Rock was down. I would recommend mortaring prior to laying the rock. More below.

Sink Preventers

Rock is heavy.  Shell less so, but it depends on the shells.  Hard clay soils will do better at keeping your Rock or Shell on top.  Sand, like we have in the yard, will swallow rock.  It doesn’t take long, a couple of rainy seasons.  The heavier the Shell or Rock, the faster it will sink.  That’s gravity.  It happens in all soil types, some faster than others.

Compaction

There are a number of ways to prevent rock from sinking.  Compaction is a tried and true, age old method.  If you pack dirt down hard enough, heavy stuff can float on top.  In fact, in our area, most houses are built on floating foundations, meaning the concrete foundations actually sit directly on top of compacted sand.  Unfortunately, unless you have compaction equipment, like a vibratory compactor and add water, you’re not going to get professional quality compaction.  You’re going to have to plan for sinkage.

I like to pounce on whatever area I’m compacting first with my feet.  Yeah, it’s basically like a moth fluttering around it.  We also have a piece of flat metal on a pole.  You use it to pound the square area down.  So yes, probably one of the most hilarious things to watch in the garden is me compacting dirt.  But it is a bit compacted by the time I’m done.

Barrier   

There are numerous options for creating a barrier between your Shell or Rock and the ground.  There is netting made out of everything from fishing wire to PVC.  They even have pre-fab raised walks with diamond cut-outs you fill with Rock or Shell.  Sturdy stuff.  Expensive, but it lasts.

We like a light, bendable PVC screen mat.  It holds the Shell or Rock on top and lets sand and dirt fall through.  ***Helpful Hint*** look for the mat, not necessary for landscaping.  The kind they make and market for the garden is more expensive.  Racks for dehydrating or screening for gutters is the same stuff, only cheaper if you’re into that sort of thing.  They fix into place easily with Yard Staples.

You can use a closed material like weed barrier mat, but I would recommend planning better.  If you don’t believe anything will ever get on the rock, like leaves or dirt, and vegetation will never grow up through it, by all means use weed barrier mat.  You will be sorry you were wrong.  Dirt gets trapped between the mat and rock, and you’ve just created a new planting bed with rock on top.  Yup, did it.  Weeding nightmare.

Braces

We’ve only included braces on the Rock path under the Tunnel.  It was a ‘try’.  The thought was adding something under the barrier to allow sand and debris to fall through rock and under the screen would create a cleaner, less maintenance required run.  It didn’t work, completely.

We added long metal poles in a diagonal crisscross all down the path before the PVC screen was added.  The bounce was minor, at first, but it tended to knock the Rock between the sections of screen.  Then, it was just on the ground sinking again.  Everything eventually settled, and the sand and dirt fall through pretty well.  However, all the leaves and bigger stuff, normal for the Tunnel, rest on top.  So, mixed results.  There is tons of debris.  Like I said, if I had to do over, I would have probably chosen mulch.

Laying the Rock Path:

1	Define Your Space	In this case it was a simple 10 foot run, 5 feet across.
2	Clear Your Area	We had already been creating the Tunnel, so sides and roof were fine.  There were some wayward grass clumps I had been trying to grow there.  Poorly.  Those got transplanted.  And the whole area was rough-cut  leveled.
3	Drainage	In this area, water runs from the front of the pool cage to the back and eventually into the drainage ditch.  Because of the raised Kentucky Flagstone walk to the pool, this area does not drain property.  Mudhole.  As part of the fix to the walk, a pipe needs to be added for better drainage.  It’s on the list.  The good news is the rock provides some volume to fill with water before you’re walking through it.  It’s stored under the rock. No wet dirt.
4	Containment	Once the path was clear and rough leveled for water to run to the back, we placed log borders, big branches and tree trunks, along the sides.  Then, I trenched in the north PVC border and dug the pavers into place.  This was really just a way to mark the entrance.  I also marked the start of the mosaic which I had not created yet.
5	Braces	We reused some metal poles, originally part of a tent system that got bent up in the wind.  Crisscrossing the long poles down the path to provide some separation between the Barrier and ground.
6	Barrier	We used PVC roll netting originally designed for gutters.  Because it comes in long rolls, it was cheaper to buy the long run instead of squares of it.  We used Yard Staples to keep them in place.
7	Spread the Rock	Rock and Shell need to be washed, out of the bags.  Make sure to do it in a place you don’t mind getting rock and shell goo all over.  You can either dump in a pile and spread with a metal rake or sprinkle from the bag and fine tune with the rake.

Choosing Rock or Shell

The smaller the Shell or Rock the easier it is to walk on.  It also gets dragged around easier and kicked from your paths easier.  So, the heavier the Rock or Shell, the less likely it is to get kicked around.  Generally, the rule of thumb is heavier Rock or Shell is either going to be dug-in or mortared into place, a.k.a. Hard.  The smaller stuff works really well loose, a.k.a. Soft. But what you use, it’s purely a personal preference.

River Stone

We used 3 different sizes of small River Stone for the Tunnel walk.  The largest went on the outside and the smallest directly down the center. 

While it wasn’t the original plan, I ended up going to 2 different places because I ran out of rock in the middle of laying them.  Dang.  It was fine.  The end was pretty.  And, everything got mixed up more in the end.       

Shell Center

Our Garden has several areas of Bromeliad.  One is a half circle with a Small White Shell Center.  There’s a Purple Crepe Myrtle planted there.  It was really just to add an area of interest and cut down on the weeds growing into the Bromeliads.

Laying the Shell Center

1	Define Your Space	The center of the Bromeliad bed.
2	Clear Your Area	We removed all the weed grass from the area.  Digging down and removing all roots.  Then, I turned the dirt and sprayed.
3	Drainage	This whole area is in the drainage ditch.  It is meant to flood, but there is a slight fall from west to east.
4	Containment	The Bromeliad beds have log borders.  So, the containment on all but one side was already in place.  We trenched in the east ‘open’ side with a PVC border.
5	Braces & Barriers	We did not use any Braces or Barriers on the Shell Center.  The small Shell is very light, and we haven’t had any sinkage after 3 years.  At some point there will be.  It helps to sweep it around, and I most definitely had to wash it off after the flooding from Ian.
7	Spread the Shell	Wash and spread Shell just like rock.  Make sure you get an even layer.  A metal rake helps.

Rock Borders

We also like to use Rock and Shell gap areas to keep the lawn off and out of the beds.  It goes lawn, border, rock, border and bed. We can spray border 1 and rock without hitting the beds.  This goes for both pesticides and herbicides.  You just have to make sure the plants from your beds are not rooting under the rock. Not generally a problem as the roots are not fond of the Yard Sand.  

A weed barrier mat works in this area too.  Just don’t put the rock on the mat.  That’s a mess.  You create these borders just like the Rock path.  The path is just wider.  

Moss & Rock Walk

It’s always nice to have layers of planting beds with walkways in between.  You have to get to the plants.  However, if you want a natural look, you can still use rock with a less defined feel.  Try mixing it with something else like moss.

We created a run for Millie dog when she was a puppy through the plants using moss with areas of exposed rock for traction.  Set up the path just like you would a Rock Path, but it only needs to be a rough outline with no Borders, Barriers or Confinement of any kind.  Instead lump rocks in handfuls, crowd them into small areas and plant moss between.  It all grows in together.  We have to pull moss out about twice a year or it totally takes over the rock.  We always have places to stick pretty green moss.

Arch Entry

While impact wise this is about at the top, it has the exact same steps as the Rock path, only it’s much wider.  The area was already laid out with grass, part of the year, when I started.  So, I got to skip to clearing and leveling.  Bonus.

The Rock isn’t as deep as the other areas because there are wooden slat pavers, like a little walkway, planned here.  Yes, stuck in sanding.  LOL!  Everything always gets stuck in sanding.

Hard Shell or Rock Paths

There are numerous ways to make your Rock or Shell paths Hard.  You can set-up form boards, pour concrete, and sprinkle, place, or mosaic Rock or Shell into it.  This obviously takes some skill sets.  You can place large Rocks or Shells on a level path and mortar them together.  You can sprinkle, place or pour mortar or concrete into loose Rock or Shell.  Or you can explore other methods.  It’s all about your skill level and willingness to work.

Pack Mortar or Concrete

The easiest way to make a Rock or Shell path hard is to pack dry mortar or concrete into loose Shell or Rock.  It’s also the most temporary.  There are both positives and negatives to it.  It’s easy to sweep. It holds up to heavy traffic. Yes, it can be moved with some sweat and major work, and it can also be moved when the tree roots come up, instead of helping them stay in place.  Of course, so can driveways in hurricanes.  So . . .

The thing to remember is less is better.  The less rock, the less layers the mortar has to sink into and dry hard into place.  You don’t want a solid layer floating on top of loose rock.  It breaks apart too easily.

Hard Rock Garden Path

You set these up just like you are building the Soft Rock Path, but you won’t need a barrier.  The mortar or concrete will hold it on top.  I started out with loose Rock in the Traditional Vegetable & Herb garden entrance.  It was nickel to quarter size rocks about 2 rocks deep.  The path was next to the large Rosemary plant who threw little tiny leaves all over it which was a pain to clean off loose Rock.

We had some left over mortar, and one day I packed it into the rock.  You have to shift the rock a little when you start to work it down.  Then, you have to make sure it’s packed-in and level.  I essentially packed the mortar into the Rock dry, and swept the top clean.  Then, I lightly watered it using the Mist setting until it was fully wet.  You want to do this slowly to not move around what you packed in already or wash around the mortar.  Resting for a few seconds to let water drain helps.

After it was fully wet, I let it sit for about 5 minutes to let all the water drain, and simply wiped off the rocks.  You don’t want to wipe away the mortar, just the goop on the surface of the rocks.  If you miss any or want to skip, the rain will eventually do this for you.  It is an outside path.

Mix or Pour Method

While I used the pack method, I could have just as easily mixed up mortar, you want it to be a little more on the liquidy side, and poured it into the rock.  Make sure it’s all still level, and wipe the top clean.  I could have also mixed the rock directly into my mortar or concrete bucket, and poured the whole thing into the area and spread to level. Then, you wipe the top rocks clean.  The reason I didn’t use either of these methods, while a stronger hold, is ease.

Once mortar or concrete is mixed to a more liquid state, it spreads before it dries. It won’t hold its shape, no matter how little water you use.  Unless you can hold it in place or you get just the right, dry before spread, perfect mix, you’re going to be fighting it to stay in place while it dries.  That’s why people use form boards.  Dirt forms make the mortar or concrete messy looking.  You can also mess up your drainage pretty easily.  Level is level.  It’s not a kind-of endeavor.  

If you are mortaring Rock or Shell together, make sure the Rocks or Shell along your outside border only have small gaps between the Rocks or Shells. You’ll have to find some way to contain the mortar while it’s drying. You want as little as possible on the outside edges.      

Shell Circle

You would think a simple circle would be the easiest of all shapes to make perfect in the garden.  Uh, apparently not for me.  I’ve been working on the Shell Circle for close to a decade.  I believe it is a circle.  It’s measured, perfected, and the very next time, it’s off.  For a decade, people.  If I didn’t know better, I would say someone in My Family was messing with me.  About 2 years ago, it finally measured up, every time, after puzzle piecing it together.

The Shell Circle is heavy Shell.  Oyster and clam, some swirly conch Shells.  It was originally purchased as fill for the side of the fountain that kept leaking, now the Bulb Garden.  My Mom had had enough.  At some point, we moved the Shell, My Son did as a child, and spread it in a rough circle.  It was manipulated from there.

Currently, once the Shell is puzzle pieced together in a whole section, we pack-in mortar, wipe and let dry.  I have several of the sections completed, and I should have the rest finished by the end of the year when things dry out.

Do It Dry

Never mortar or concrete when rain is expected.  You want a full 24 hours or more for the mortar or concrete to set.  Cover it if there is an unexpected problem.  Also, make sure the irrigation is not spraying the area.  Rewetting drying mortar or concrete will keep it from setting properly, and you may have to start over.  No one wants that.

How to Create a Shell or Rock Path 

Paths are fun.  Rock or Shell paths will add color, texture and impact to your garden.  They will also keep the mud off your shoes.  It can be as rough or as finished as you want.  You’re really only limited by your time and budget.  Oh, those.  It’s fine.  Gardens are a progression.  Start dreaming.