Perhaps nothing makes a bolder statement to join two levels in your garden than a meandering, ancient-looking rock staircase. The look of steps hewn into the earth is appealing in an almost primordial way, yet is contemporary and elegant at the same time. Rocks offer the added incentive of being earth-friendly and widely available, not to mention varied enough to offer colors that complement any setting. Whether your staircase is tall and winding or a few simple steps, building from rocks is an excellent and affordable way to add a touch of grandeur to any garden.
Instructions
1. Haul your stones out to the worksite. If you will be using multiple stones to make up each step (rather than one large boulder per step), it can help to determine which rocks fit well together while you are still at the base of the hill. The best stones are flat on top and roughly 6 inches high. A depth of 10 to 18 inches makes for a nice wide step, with a little room for overlapping the stones.
2. Dig out a level spot for the first stone with a small shovel or spade, and lay a thin layer of gravel to help with drainage and to hold the stone in place. Pile the dirt off to the side for now.
3. Place the first step in place, wiggling it into the gravel. The easiest (albeit probably least technical) means of wedging the stones is to hop up and down a few times on each step. Alternately, you can use a rubber mallet.
4. Excavate the site for the next step, and cap with another layer of gravel. Place the second stone so that it overlaps the step below by 3 to 4 inches, sitting snug and flat. Add more gravel or dig out more earth until the stones rest properly.
5. Continue digging, adding gravel and setting stones until your rock staircase is complete.
6. Pack all the excavated dirt back between and around the steps, filling in any gaps and hiding as much gravel as possible.
Tags: each step, layer gravel, rock staircase, step with