Stone With Grass Joints

Here is a question from Stephen in Texas about allowing grass to grow between the joints.

Question:

Hans, The prior owners of my house put in an AZ flagstone patio over concrete. They used the leftover stone in the dirt to form an irregularly shaped, irregularly spaced 5ft X 20 FT walkway. I want to improve the bed for the walkway, raise it 2 in to meet the patio, and plant dwarf Mondo Grass in the joints.

The stones are 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inch thick, anywhere from 1 ft in diameter to 2 X 4 ft, and spaced up to 6 in apart.

I am concerned about drainage, settling/cracking the stones, and good soil for growing the grass. Is there anything I need to do differently or be concerned about when preparing the bed? Instead of finishing the joints with sand, can I use topsoil for the grass?

Thank you, Stephen

Answer:

Dear Stephen, It sounds like you have a pretty good plan going. You can definately fill the joints with grass. The grass will grow so thick and strong, that they'll hold the stones in place. You'll want to put sand underneath and compact it as much as possible, so you'll avoid settling. However, you'll still get some settling. Stone always settles a bit in sand. You have thinner pieces, so they may move a bit. If you take your time and do it right, you should be ok!

Take a look at this picture to see the difference between stone and sand: http://www.the-flagstone-experts.com/ways-to-install-flagstone-patios.htmlth e-flagstone-experts.com

We hope that helps you out!

David and Hans
the-flagstone-experts.com
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