Placeholder article on a general topic, here to show the layout. It was not written by the practice.
A garden path is walked on every day and rained on for a third of the year. Stone that looks perfect in the yard can turn slippery, stained or loose after one monsoon, so it pays to choose for wet weather first.
Start with the surface
Polished and honed finishes are for indoors. Outside, pick a natural cleft, flamed or brushed surface that keeps its grip when wet. Run water over a sample and stand on it before you commit.
Give the water somewhere to go
Most paving problems are drainage problems. Lay the path with a gentle fall to one side, keep it slightly above the surrounding soil, and use open joints or a gravel margin where the ground stays wet.
Plan for moss and patina
Shaded stone will grow moss and darken. That can be the look you want, or a maintenance job you did not plan for. Decide which before choosing between a pale stone and a darker one that hides its age.
