How to Install a Flagstone Path

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Norman A. Plate

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Step 1

Install benderboard edging first, then put down landscape fabric (available at nurseries) to prevent weeds. Secure fabric edges under the benderboard edging.

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Norman A. Plate

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Step 2

Pour a 2-inch-thick layer of sand over the landscape fabric, raking it smooth. (In rainy areas, put down a 2-inch gravel layer first.)

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Norman A. Plate

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Step 3

As you rake, moisten the sand with a fine spray from the hose.

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Norman A. Plate

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Step 4

Firm the sand. Using a drum roller or a hand tamper, pass over the moist sand several times to pack it down.

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Norman A. Plate

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Step 5

Add steppingstones, then wiggle them in so they're firmly embedded.

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Norman A. Plate

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Step 6

To finish, fill cracks between stones with gravel, or―to hold flagstones more firmly―use something smaller like decomposed granite.

Sunset’s Own Gardening Tools

Sunset Gardening Apron

Thomas J. Story

We’ve teamed up with the good people at White Bark Workwear in Los Angeles, California, to produce our first official Sunset garden apron—a sustainable and practical tool for gardeners everywhere. The spacious utility pockets are gusseted to expand and provide extra room for tools, twine, garden clippings, and anything else you might need to keep near.

Foldable Garden Seat with Tools

Whether you’re growing your own food or seeding flowers to mesmerize the neighbors, gardening is hard on your body. Our foldable garden seat, featuring a neat embroidered Sunset logo, reduces the stress of constant kneeling or squatting. Plus, it comes with comes with five essential tools and the pockets to keep them at hand.

Fisher Blacksmithing Garden Cultivator

Rab Cummings

This elegant rake is great for breaking up dirt and attacking weeds! The tines are ideal for working with grasses and other weeds that have shallow, rhizomes, or runner-type growth. The carefully bent side tines flare slightly below the ferrule creating a beautiful, fleur de lis image. The solid steel rivets are set horizontally to the direction of pressure providing additional stability for the rake.

Garden Tote with Tools

If you’ve got a lot of (ahem) ground to cover in your garden, you’ll need something to tote around your tools—like, um, this tool tote! It’s durable, emblazoned with the Sunset logo, and comes with two trowels and a cultivator, not to mention space to carry a whole lot more. 

Vintage Sunset Cover Personalized Garden Flags

Plant your flag! Our weather-resistant garden flags come custom-printed with your family’s name. Show off your pride in the West—and, ahem, your good taste—with your favorite vintage Sunset covers.