Hans L wrote:

I have started to plan my garden by laying out paths (raking off grass and
moss). I now want to "permanent" the paths by laying down material that is
like paver base (very finely ground stone material). I planned to actually
use paver base (gray) and add tint to get, for instance, a rust color.
However, I think this would be a *lot* of work, so my question is, what
other finely ground *colored* stone material are there that could be used?

I have paths of decomposed granite (DG). It is tan with a slight
pink blush. Under it is some kind of garden cloth to prevent weeds
from rooting through into the soil below. Be sure to get DG all
from the same source as different sources will be slightly
different in color.

After it was wet a few times by my sprinkler system, it packed down
quite hard. I can now rake it without severely disturbing the
surface. However, when it is truly wet (e.g., within two hours
after the sprinklers run), my shoes do leave prints; these are
easily removed when I rake.

Note that, in my area, we get only light frosts. The soil NEVER
freezes. If you live in an area where freezing is a problem, you
will need at least a gravel foundation under the DG. Then you will
need extra DG because it will work down into the gravel.

By the way, I had the paths installed 3 feet wide. This reduces
the frequency with which I must trim the lawn and ground cover at
the edges. It also made it easier for my mother (who uses a
walker) to navigate.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/