Over the river and through the woods to the gazebo we go!
This past year we had a client who had recently cleared out an old house from their property and were left with lots and lots of space. Though they enjoyed their expansive backyard, they realized the space was a little too… spacious. It was time to fill their empty lot with some life! That’s when we got the call.
The client’s dream was a secluded garden surrounded by trees and traversed by stone pathways and large rock walls. At the center of the garden would be a beautiful large gazebo, somewhere to relax and enjoy the enchanting sounds and sights of nature. It was an inspiring vision we were excited to help execute.


To start, we first had to figure out what we were dealing with. We discovered the yard was near a stream which meant the soil was very wet and soggy. Because of the muddy ground, we had to bring in lots of dirt and stone. Then, we used the jumping jack compactor… a LOT.
Usually these types of compactors are used for small spaces (like an area against the foundation of a house) but we wanted to ensure this soil would be very compact for all the large stones and equipment we were bringing in. No one wants a sinking gazebo! For this reason, we decided to use the jumping jack on the whole yard. It was very time consuming but in the end it was worth it.








We used 89 stone, a finer pea-sized stone used in projects like this for coverage. Finally, we compacted everything with a plate compactor and brought in the flagstone.
Side note: People often think that you can just put flagstone in the ground and it won’t move. Unfortunately, this is not true. If you don’t want to use concrete, the best way to get this flat, stone path look is to follow the process I mentioned above. Here it is again:
- Compact as much as possible
- Add gravel
- Compact again
- Add 89 stone
- Compact again
- Place your flagstone




