No More Loose, Moving Gravel: The Premade Edging Solution From Amazon
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If you enjoy the look of natural stone around the edges of your lawn or garden, you might consider using gravel to achieve that aesthetic — or maybe you already have. However, while the material does add a nice rustic touch to your outdoor space, it can also be frustrating to maintain, mostly because the small pieces easily shift around. For a more secure solution, consider something like the Sunnyglade River Rock Stepping Stones on Amazon, which consist of rocks attached to a mesh mat.
Because they're secured to a backing, they won't slip and slide around like loose pebbles do. This means you can say goodbye to raking gravel walkways or paths and vacuuming tiny stones out of your grass. Not only will that save you time on yard work, but it could also reduce stress on your body. There are two shapes to choose from, depending on your style preferences. The rectangular mats measure 15½ by 5½ inches and cost $43. Meanwhile, the round style is 9 inches in diameter, with a list price of $26. Both come in sets of six.
Most Amazon customers are happy with these stones. At the time of writing, they have an average score of 4.4 out of 5 stars, based on more than 40 ratings. In the positive reviews, several shoppers said the stepping stones made a nice addition to their landscaping and stayed in place well. On the other hand, some buyers thought the gaps between the rocks were larger than expected, which can be fixed with a little extra zhuzhing during installation.
Tips for installing these river rock stepping stones
The Sunnyglade products include authentic stones, so you don't have to sacrifice that organic look in your gravel garden feature. You can install them in many different places around your property, including around garden beds, next to driveways, and along the side of your house. You could also use them as perfectly spaced stepping stones in your lawn.
As you might expect, installing the stones is simple — and much easier than sourcing, hauling, and laying gravel. In fact, one shopper cleverly referred to them as "the lazy man's landscaping." Get started by clearing any weeds, dead leaves, and other debris from the installation site, then make sure the area is flat. From there, all you have to do is roll out the rectangular strips or place the circles in their positions. If you need to trim them down to fit into the space, you can do that with a utility knife. All in all, another Amazon customer said it took them 10 minutes to lay two boxes of the rocks.
While you can install the stepping stones on their own, some buyers reported that they didn't like seeing the exposed backing material between the rocks. As one person put it, "There is some space between stones on some panels so the mesh might show through once they are placed." They recommended using dirt or mulch to fill the gaps, while others suggested adding white sand underneath and in between the rocks.