Almost 2 years ago, I installed landscape fabric and blue rug
junipers in our front yard, which is sloped quite a bit. I was tired of
mowing it, and I knew we would be moving, so I wanted it to be low
maintenance.

The following spring and summer (2009), I finished putting large
whitish rock on top of the landscape fabric, to help protect it from the
sun, and also to make it less likely for weeds to get started.

Since the place is a duplex/double, there are two cement steps going
up the front yard. This means 3 separate areas. Everything has held up
well in two of the areas, but the third is a different story.

I'm not sure if it is partly due to the neighbor kid playing on the
stones, the mailman walking on them, or the increased slope. All I know
for sure is that the stones are coming loose on the steepest part, about
a 3' tall by 5' wide section, and moving down onto my neighbor's parking
slab. He doesn't like it. I don't like the fact that the landscape
fabric is once again exposed to the sun.

I've been trying to think of different ways to successfully solve
this problem. The main idea I had was to have someone use mortar mix,
or possibly fiber reinforced concrete to slap down a layer, then push
the stones down into that ~2" thick layer. Once it sets up, I don't
think the stones would move much. Another idea I had was possibly
putting the stone in, and then using metal mesh or something to help
hold it in place. However, that would need to be anchored somehow, and
would probably introduce ways for weeds to grow.

Anyone have experience with an issue like this? I'd like to get it
taken care of in the next week or two - the place is currently for rent,
and it is just one more headache that I don't need.

Thanks!

Ohioguy wrote:
....
... put[ting] ... rock on top of the landscape fabric, ...

....
I'm not sure if it is partly due to the neighbor kid playing on the
stones, the mailman walking on them, or the increased slope. All I know
for sure is that the stones are coming loose on the steepest part, about
a 3' tall by 5' wide section, and moving down onto my neighbor's parking
....
I've been trying to think of different ways to successfully solve this
problem. ...

What about lawn divider/edging strips across the width every so often to
contain the rock in various smaller sections...

--

Ohioguy wrote:
Almost 2 years ago, I installed landscape fabric and blue rug junipers
in our front yard, which is sloped quite a bit. I was tired of mowing
it, and I knew we would be moving, so I wanted it to be low maintenance.

The following spring and summer (2009), I finished putting large
whitish rock on top of the landscape fabric, to help protect it from the
sun, and also to make it less likely for weeds to get started.

Since the place is a duplex/double, there are two cement steps going
up the front yard. This means 3 separate areas. Everything has held up
well in two of the areas, but the third is a different story.

I'm not sure if it is partly due to the neighbor kid playing on the
stones, the mailman walking on them, or the increased slope. All I know
for sure is that the stones are coming loose on the steepest part, about
a 3' tall by 5' wide section, and moving down onto my neighbor's parking
slab. He doesn't like it. I don't like the fact that the landscape
fabric is once again exposed to the sun.

I've been trying to think of different ways to successfully solve this
problem. The main idea I had was to have someone use mortar mix, or
possibly fiber reinforced concrete to slap down a layer, then push the
stones down into that ~2" thick layer. Once it sets up, I don't think
the stones would move much. Another idea I had was possibly putting the
stone in, and then using metal mesh or something to help hold it in
place. However, that would need to be anchored somehow, and would
probably introduce ways for weeds to grow.

Anyone have experience with an issue like this? I'd like to get it
taken care of in the next week or two - the place is currently for rent,
and it is just one more headache that I don't need.

Thanks!

I've used pavers on edge to border river rock which has significant
water flow from downspouts. You might also incorporate larger rocks
that can be partially below grade to act as a "dam" to keep smaller ones
from rolling down.

In article ,
Ohioguy wrote:

Almost 2 years ago, I installed landscape fabric and blue rug
junipers in our front yard, which is sloped quite a bit. I was tired of
mowing it, and I knew we would be moving, so I wanted it to be low
maintenance.

The following spring and summer (2009), I finished putting large
whitish rock on top of the landscape fabric, to help protect it from the
sun, and also to make it less likely for weeds to get started.

Since the place is a duplex/double, there are two cement steps going
up the front yard. This means 3 separate areas. Everything has held up
well in two of the areas, but the third is a different story.

I'm not sure if it is partly due to the neighbor kid playing on the
stones, the mailman walking on them, or the increased slope. All I know
for sure is that the stones are coming loose on the steepest part, about
a 3' tall by 5' wide section, and moving down onto my neighbor's parking
slab. He doesn't like it. I don't like the fact that the landscape
fabric is once again exposed to the sun.

I've been trying to think of different ways to successfully solve
this problem. The main idea I had was to have someone use mortar mix,
or possibly fiber reinforced concrete to slap down a layer, then push
the stones down into that ~2" thick layer. Once it sets up, I don't
think the stones would move much. Another idea I had was possibly
putting the stone in, and then using metal mesh or something to help
hold it in place. However, that would need to be anchored somehow, and
would probably introduce ways for weeds to grow.

Anyone have experience with an issue like this? I'd like to get it
taken care of in the next week or two - the place is currently for rent,
and it is just one more headache that I don't need.

Thanks!

I absolutely wouldn't be using the concrete/mortar idea. Perhaps you
have roundish/smoothish stones, which barely stay put even on level
ground. You might do better with the kind of gravel they use for roads,
which is much more angular; the pieces lock together and stay put.

wrote in message
...
Ohioguy wrote:
Almost 2 years ago, I installed landscape fabric and blue rug junipers
in our front yard, which is sloped quite a bit. I was tired of mowing
it, and I knew we would be moving, so I wanted it to be low maintenance.

The following spring and summer (2009), I finished putting large
whitish rock on top of the landscape fabric, to help protect it from the
sun, and also to make it less likely for weeds to get started.

Since the place is a duplex/double, there are two cement steps going up
the front yard. This means 3 separate areas. Everything has held up
well in two of the areas, but the third is a different story.

I'm not sure if it is partly due to the neighbor kid playing on the
stones, the mailman walking on them, or the increased slope. All I know
for sure is that the stones are coming loose on the steepest part, about
a 3' tall by 5' wide section, and moving down onto my neighbor's parking
slab. He doesn't like it. I don't like the fact that the landscape
fabric is once again exposed to the sun.

I've been trying to think of different ways to successfully solve this
problem. The main idea I had was to have someone use mortar mix, or
possibly fiber reinforced concrete to slap down a layer, then push the
stones down into that ~2" thick layer. Once it sets up, I don't think
the stones would move much. Another idea I had was possibly putting the
stone in, and then using metal mesh or something to help hold it in
place. However, that would need to be anchored somehow, and would
probably introduce ways for weeds to grow.

Anyone have experience with an issue like this? I'd like to get it
taken care of in the next week or two - the place is currently for rent,
and it is just one more headache that I don't need.

Thanks!

I've used pavers on edge to border river rock which has significant water
flow from downspouts. You might also incorporate larger rocks that can be
partially below grade to act as a "dam" to keep smaller ones from rolling
down.

How about some round poles that are anchored with 18" pieces of rebar
pounded into the earth? They weather nicely, aren't expensive, and look
decent. You could even cut them and make a slight pattern, W shape or
other.

Steve

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have roundish/smoothish stones, which barely stay put even on level
ground. You might do better with the kind of gravel they use for roads,
which is much more angular; the pieces lock together and stay put.

No, they are large, rough stones similar to driveway stones, but
bigger and a little whiter. I'd say on average they are about 3" to 4"
across. They don't tumble particularly easily, but the slope is such
that if you remove what is underneath the one above, they tumble.

I like the idea that some of you had about pavers & such. One of my
friends had the idea of putting in additional landscape timbers, but
that wouldn't have looked so good. (unless perhaps painted to match the
stone, I guess)

I could probably use some long concrete sections, which would be a
similar color to the stone. That would help hold the rocks a lot.

On Sep 2, 3:32*pm, Ohioguy wrote:
have roundish/smoothish stones, which barely stay put even on level
ground. You might do better with the kind of gravel they use for roads,
which is much more angular; the pieces lock together and stay put.

* *No, they are large, rough stones similar to driveway stones, but
bigger and a little whiter. *I'd say on average they are about 3" to 4"
across. *They don't tumble particularly easily, but the slope is such
that if you remove what is underneath the one above, they tumble.

* *I like the idea that some of you had about pavers & such. *One of my
friends had the idea of putting in additional landscape timbers, but
that wouldn't have looked so good. (unless perhaps painted to match the
stone, I guess)

* *I could probably use some long concrete sections, which would be a
similar color to the stone. *That would help hold the rocks a lot.

You have two issues that are contributing to the problem. The first
is obvious, the slope. Not so obvious is the landscape fabric that
you indicated was installed. Both contribute to helping the stones
dislodge and move.

The first thing I would try is to soak the area until the soil becomes
very soft and then try to place the rocks where you want them and tamp
them into the wet soil. This may not work too well because of the
landscape fabric which will tend to pull out previously done areas as
you move from one spot to another. You may need to work back and
forth a couple of times to set the stones in place. Hopefully, after
it dries out the stones will find their own indentation to hang onto.

If this doesn't work, and it may not because of the landscape fabric,
the best choice would be rows of larger stones or pavers set deeper
into the soil to hold the rocks in place. Even this should be
followed by the tap them down approach.