Rant: I went with a simple gravel path instead of pouring a concrete walkway

I was set on a concrete path from my back door to the shed, but the quote came in at over $1,200. My buddy, who's a landscaper, told me to just dig a 6-inch trench and fill it with crushed limestone. I did it myself over a weekend for about $200 in materials. It looks way more natural and the drainage is perfect. Anyone have tips for keeping weeds from popping up between the gravel?

4 comments

4 Comments

violaramirez2mo ago

Lay down a heavy-duty landscape fabric under the gravel, the non-woven kind. It lets water through but blocks sunlight so weeds can't take root. I put a thick layer of coarse gravel down first, then a finer top layer, which also helps. Every spring I sprinkle a little pre-emergent herbicide on it, just to catch any stray seeds.

sandra_bennett592mo ago

Used to think fabric was a waste, but your method with the coarse base layer makes total sense now.

elliot_gibson271mo agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, but is it really that big of a deal? I don't get the fuss, @violaramirez.

the_jana2mo ago

That pre-emergent is smart, but skip the fabric. It always fails and then you're fighting weeds through a torn mesh. Just pack the limestone down hard with a plate compactor, weeds hate a solid surface.