Making a backyard path: Outdoor Spruce-up Part 1

Since finishing my master bathroom remodel, I took a much-needed break from blogging, but I still have a ton of work to do on the house! Since Covid started, my family spends a lot of time outside, and our yard was both not pretty and lacked functionality. I can fix that! To start the backyard spruce up, I’m starting simple with the creation of a garden path.

We have a huge side yard that is sloped and nothing but dirt.

My goal is to create a pathway that is functional and aesthetically pleasing, without a ton of work.

There are a ton of options when it comes to designing your backyard path. A paver path was a no-go because that would require leveling the path first, and that’s way too much work. I considered a pebble path but quickly vetoed that option. I would need to place a crap ton of edging to keep the pebbles in, and edging can be very expensive. To keep the cost down and the amount of work minimal, I chose a slate stepping stone design. We lucked out and got a palate of slate at Costco, but if that is not an option, you can find it at any decorative rock or stone store.

Step one: lining the backyard path

This is a step you most definitely do not want to skip! Weed control fabric is aptly named because it stops weeds from popping up. The last thing I want to do is weed my backyard path, so sign me up!

Installation is pretty simple. You just secure the edges using these little metal stakes. For the most part, you can push them in using your hands, but occasionally when the ground is too hard, a little hammer does the job.

The only minimally trick part was curving the fabric around the corner. To make the corner, I made little pleats in the fabric and secured them with the stakes.

Step 1 finished! This is the first project that is turning out to be just as easy as I thought it would be!

Step 2: Placing the stones

In case you are wondering, slate stones are incredibly heavy, and I’m no spring chicken anymore. This step was physically difficult, but not so hard on my noggen, so evaluating git’s simplicity all depends on your opinion of physical labor. I just plopped down the stones using a combination of small and large as I went. I did have to rearrange them when it didn’t look right a few times.

Step 3: Adding the barkdust

When purchasing barkdust, you have a few options: 1) Pile it on the street or your driveway, then haul it to your desired location using a wheelbarrow about a million times, or 2) pay a little extra to have the company blow it in. With the amount of yard we have, the wheelbarrow method would have taken forever! Clearly we went with option 2.

Making a backyard path was one of the easiest and quickest projects I have done yet! I love how it turned out, and it just motivates me to continue upgrading my yard!

I started this blog in the hope of inspiring other people to try something new, especially if it is unexpected. If you like what you are seeing, please like, comment, or share! Thanks for reading!