How To Get A Flower Bed Ready For Landscaping Rocks

If you want to fill in a flower bed with some landscaping rocks, you want to prepare the area before you put down the rocks. Properly preparing the area will prevent the rocks from settling into the soil and will keep weeds from growing through the rock layer in the future.

Remove the Weeds

The first thing you need to do is remove weeds from the entire area where you are going to put the rocks. To ensure that the weeds do not return, you may want to spray the area with a herbicide to kill the vegetation before you pull it out and remove it.

Level the Soil

After you remove and treat all the weeds in the area, you are going to want to level the soil. You want the soil to be as level as possible, and you want to work hard to get rid of any high spots. If the ground is uneven, it will be more difficult to put down the fabric that is going between the soil and the rocks. Leveling the soil will also help ensure that the rocks are level and even throughout your flower bed, creating a more uniform look.

Lay Down the Fabric

Now you need to lay down the landscaping fabric. As you lay down the fabric, you are going to want to want to work from one side of the flower bed to another. When you reach the border of the area, you'll want to have extra material; this will give you some extra fabric to work with as you install edging around your flower bed.

If you have plants or bushes in your flower beds, make an X in the fabric when you get to a plant and work the fabric over the plant so that it meets right at the base of the plant.

Secure the Fabric

Now you want to secure the fabric so that it doesn't move. The best way to secure the fabric is to use fasteners or pins. You are going to want to evenly space out the fasteners or pins around the edge of the fabric. You may need to use a hammer to jab the fasteners into the ground.

Lay Down the Rock

Finally, lay down the rock on top of the fabric. Pour the rock in the flower bed and use a rake to even out the rocks across the bed. You want the rock height to be even throughout the bed. For more information, you can contact companies like Portland Sand & Gravel Co Inc.