Creating a Paver Walkway While Cleaning up the Side of the House That Became a Dumpster

During the pool construction, the north side of our house unintentionally turned into an outdoor storage area. It started as a place to store things that weren't too important but too valuable to throw away. We also had a huge pile of landscape pavers that we pulled out from all the backyard beds before construction.

Now, it's also used to store pool toys and floaties. This area serves as one of the entryways to the deck and the route people take to enter the pool through the single gate so we had to get it cleaned up. My goal was simple: clean up the area, connect the rest of the landscaping, and create a walkway path that controls the flow up to the deck and into the yard.

Replacing the Edging

To start, I placed the old landscaping edging pavers back around the existing bed. I had to make some adjustments from the previous border and add lots of dirt on the outside to even out the yard. By having the blocks even with the grass, I can avoid using a weed eater. Many people use the blocks as a border, but I prefer to use my weed eater as little as possible.

The majority of my time was spent cleaning up, removing landscape rock, and spreading dirt around the area to level it out. I used a level and tape measure to ensure that the stones were equally spaced out and balanced.

Since the pool deck is made of gray brushed concrete, I decided to use simple gray concrete pavers as stepping stones. We used a combination of 12" and 16" concrete pavers. Hardest part was trying to make sure the dirt underneath each was level

To finish it off, I filled it in with cedar mulch to give it a finished look and make it easy for planting.

Plantings

To match the other landscaping I am doing in the back, I planted more Karl Reed Forester Grass and Sedum to create a border and fill in this area.

Not even a full season later, the small plants have filled in nicely and are giving us some nice natural privacy near the pool.

I also added another Incredible Hydrangea at the other end of the bed to anchor the rounded end with more sedum and grasses.

Finishing Touches

We purchased a quality water hose reel to make watering easier in this area. It's used daily with the deck planters. The reel is easy to wind up and doesn't take up any space on the ground. It pivots around as you move, and a simple big tug allows it to wind up on its own. The hose itself is thick enough and doesn't kink.

With the side of the house cleaned up and the landscaping connected, the area now serves as a functional and visually appealing entryway to the deck and pool.

I love how a little bit of effort can transform a cluttered space into a welcoming and organized one.

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Need a walkway fix? Here's what we used:

• 12" Stone Paver Stepping Stones Home Depot

• 16" Stone Paver Stepping Stones Home Depot

• Landscape edging stones - repurposed from old plant beds

• Cedar Mulch Home Depot

• Mini Shovel affiliate

• Garden Rake affiliate

• Husky Wheelbarrow Home Depot

• Retractable Hose Reel affiliate

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