Book of Gardens 



53 



The stones ought to be bedded 

 firml}' in the soil when the latter 

 has had plent}' of time to settle 

 after the final grading and has 

 been well tamped down. The sur- 

 face of the slabs should be raised 

 3/4" to 1" above the top of the earth 

 so that during heav}- rains they 

 will not be flooded. 



As the photographs clearly show, 

 a considerable variety in size as 

 well as outline of the paving rocks 

 is necessary to permit laying them 

 in a wholly pleasing pattern. Any- 

 thing in the nature of a geometrical, 

 regular design should be avoided 

 e.xcept in really formal work. On 

 the other hand, guard against the 

 appearance of "spottiness" which 

 inevitably follows a too great mass- 

 ing of either large or small rocks. 

 When the path is completed it 

 ought to present a uniform appear- 

 ance when considered as a whole — 

 no particular sections of it should 

 stand out more prominenth' than 

 the others because of the size or 

 arrangement of the stones. 



The path of paved stones is sane- 

 ly substantial and forthright. It 

 knows where it is going, a>id why. 

 The effect of even pattern is evi- 

 dent here 



The spaces between the stones 

 should also be irregular in both 

 size and shape. It is they which 

 outline the pattern of the path, and 

 the slabs should never be so closely 

 fitted that these spaces lack promi- 

 nence. If this point is overlooked, 

 the finished job will be in large 

 measure flat, stale and unprofit- 

 able. The photograph at the left 

 shows a path in which the pattern 

 has been well developed. 



From start to finish, keep this in 

 mind: a path exists primarily to 

 walk upon, and it should invite 

 rather than discourage involuntary 

 footsteps. To this end its surface 

 must be level and firm. It should 

 never inspire one with the sensa- 

 tion of skipping along a stream on 

 a succession of unevenly spaced 

 and wobbly boulders. "Watch your 

 step" should be as- unnecessary an 

 admonition to the stroller along 

 the slab-laid garden walk as it is 

 needful in the maelstrom of a New 

 York subway station at the rush 

 hour. 



The stones should be of varying 

 sizes and shapes. Grass may be 

 sown between them, or low 

 flowering plants put in. Kirk- 

 land Cutter, architect 



