Decorating Your Garden - Garden Stepping Stones and Other Features

With a little thought, a garden can be improved with the addition of features other than plants. Garden stepping stones can be both practical and used to decorate an uninteresting garden. The dotted line formed by stepping stones can often be more pleasing than a solid path, and less likely to leave the garden looking like it is cut off into different sections.

Stepping stones such as flagstones should be set flush with the lawn on a sand base. The only maintenance these garden decorations should require is an occasional trim around the edges.

Stone can be put to many other uses in your garden, both as decorations and for practical uses. Stones of varying sizes make good garden edging for water features, and can be combined with scattered pebbles to create a natural looking decoration in the garden.

Stones used in retaining walls can be extremely useful on a slope in the garden, not only creating an attractive decorated look, but also preventing erosion. Retaining walls can create steps in a slope that can then be planted to blend in with the rest of your garden, making use of trailing plants to cover the stones, or leaving the stones bare for a striking effect.

Make the Most of a Slope

Slopes can also incorporate steps made from stone. These steps should be shallow and wide, with the riser (vertical) no more than half the depth of the tread (horizontal). A steep slope may require deep steps, or the inclusion of a landing.

Split or dressed stone is an option that makes a more attractive option than bricks or concrete blocks when building steps. Stone can be combined with other materials such as railway sleepers for a rustic decorate look on your slope.

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