The Strata Group – Railway Sleepers & Solid Fuels Quality Products Distributed throughout the UK & Ireland

26Mar/15Off

Creating a Garden Path with Decorative Stone

 

This Step by Step Guide on How to Make A Gravel Path was featured on ehow.com! Using Strata products you can use this guide to Transform Your Outdoor Space into a Stylish yet Practical Garden.

At The Strata Group we have been supplying Hard Landscaping Products to Traders across the UK and Ireland for over 20 Years. We Guarantee Top Quality Products at Competitive Prices. To get more information on our product range check out www.strataireland.com or Give Us a Ring 0044(0) 28 8676 2103.

Spreading Patio Gravel

Things You'll Need

  • Ideal Location

  • String

  • Marking chalk or spray paint

  • Newspaper

  • Gravel

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_4697371_gravel-patio.html#page=0

Step 1:

HAVE AN IDEA. PICK A LOCATION. Maybe you want a patio. Or a weed-free flower bed. Or a circle bed around a tree. Or a nice place to put a bench. Maybe you want a grass-free area for a kiddie pool. Whatever you're after, this method will work. Get an idea of what (and where) your landscaping needs are and then choose your location. My patio began here, at the back of the historic house I'm restoring.

Choose Your Location

Step 2:

MARK YOUR SPACE AND REMOVE VEGETATION. It helps to measure off your desired space or shape and then draw out your boundaries. String helps, especially if you're doing circular or complicated patterns. Mark your boundaries with marking chalk, spray paint, string, even an outstretched water hose.

Once you've delineated your space, clear it out. You may need to transplant or remove grass or plants. You may need to hack things out with a hoe, shovel or rake. But you need to start with a dirt foundation. Remove any large stones debris, etc. (By the way, this is the point where many people will bring out the Round-Up. If that's what you like, go for it here. Since I grow a lot of my own food and flowers, I'm anti-chemicals. Do what works for you.)

Clear Your Space

Step 3:

SUPPLY UP! For my patio, I wanted to use brick reclaimed from my house as a border. I also wanted to use pea gravel. Pretty basic, but I wanted visual focus to be on my container garden and outdoor furniture. Gravel and bricks may not be in keeping with your house or garden. You may want to use landscaping edging or stone... or a flower or herb border. And for your base, you don't have to use gravel. Use tumbled sea shells. You can use flattened-looking marbles from Mega Glass (www.megaglass.com). You could even use landscaping glass. American Specialty Glass (www.americanspecialtyglass.com) sells it in all colors. No matter what you decide to use, ask around. I went to my local hardware store and asked for leftover and broken bags of pea gravel. I got 800 pounds of it for $16.99.

After you've secured your gravel or other material, look for a weed barrier for underlay. I rounded up family's, neighbors', and friends' discarded newspapers. You could do the same, or you could purchase inexpensive weed barrier cloth from a local home improvement store. No matter what you choose, make sure you have ample material to cover your space.

Supply Up

Step 4:

EDGE AND PAPER. If you're adding an edging to your space, install it here. Place your stones, dig in your edging, or plant your border plants along the lines you marked previously.

Once you have your outer perimeter defined, install your underlay. If you're using newspaper, carefully unfold it. Using stacks of approximately 8-10 black newsprint sheets (no color ads or glossy American Profiles, please), lay it out over your space. Watch for any rocks or sticks that could perforate the paper; you don't want that. The newspaper acts as an organic and inexpensive weed smother/barrier under your gravel. (Plus, it works. My mother uses this method in her garden and layers several inches of mulch over the paper. She calls it "lasagna gardening". No weeds. Little money.) As you layer your newspaper, be sure to tuck edges under edges. This helps prevent weeds from growing up between your stacks of newspaper.

If you've chosen to use a weed barrier product, install it according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Lay Weed Barrier

Step 5:

GRAVEL TIME. Instead of the "bend and snap" (remember Legally Blonde?), we'll call this the "dump and spread". Now's the time to pour and spread your gravel, taking care that you spread it liberally enough to cover the area, ideally between 1-2 inches thick. As you rake, check for any holes or large rips in your newspaper or weed barrier and fix them before adding gravel.

When you're finished spreading the gravel, lightly tap down with a shovel or gravel packer. Water lightly to help settle the gravel.

Spread Your Gravel

Step 6:

PATIO PARTY. Clear your space of materials, taking care to save leftover weed barrier and gravel to fix areas that pets, children, activity, or water run-off may displace or remove.

You've done it! You've created an inexpensive place for you and yours to relax. Go ahead and add your plants, your table, your bench, your hammock, your kiddie pool, your fire pit... whatever... and enjoy your new space.

Happy patio creating! I hope you enjoy your space as much as I'm already loving my mine.

Finished Gravel Patio

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_4697371_gravel-patio.html#page=0

Enquire about our range of Decorative Stone and Gravel Products via Email  sales@thestratagroup.co.uk or Phone 0044(0) 28 8676 2103

12Mar/15Off

Railway Sleepers- Ideas to Transform Any Outdoor Space

Spring is upon is and now is the time to start planning your landscaping activities! With the nights getting longer it gives us the perfect opportunity to get into the Garden and start planning what we can do to rejueventate your outside space.

Railway Sleepers are a highly versitile product that can be used to completely transform a garden. People often think that as Railway Sleepers are big and bulky they can only be used in big projects... You couldnt be more wrong.
Check Out Some of these neat ideas I spotted on Pinterest

Give Us a Ring on 0044 (0)28 8676 2103 or Email sales@thestratagroup.co.uk for more information.

94d8c7af6a3f835be60e060521439a11 6719dfad88cbf2762da6c9cbf3b6bdb4 5c71e6ca255a3530590c8a0ce1e4c648 d723898ac8ca5da3a453fe6a89e2e7c1

Filed under: news Comments Off
2Mar/15Off

Winter Shows Spring Who’s Boss!!!

kosy kingAs we woke up this morning ready to Step into Spring, Winter showed it us that it wasn’t quite finished with us!

Weather Warnings have been put into place throughout Northern Ireland as the Snow Falls. We are still delivering as normal so why not Call Us on 028 8676 2103 and get your Coal and Kiln Dried Logs Delivered Straight to Your home!!!

You can also Order from our Online Store www.kosyking.com from the comfort of your own home!

 

winter_weather_warning_02_300