My wonderful husband dug a path from the deck to the pool deck. He's leveled the ground and now we just need to determine the best media to put downon the path that will create the least amount of mess in the yard as well as avoid tracking that media into the pool. We do step into a little tub of water before and after we swim. Does anyone have any good ideas? I'd like to get it down before the next rainfall or we will have a 50' mudpit!

My vote is for pea gravel and pavers. Mulch will still get in pool and will have to be refreshed in the future.

I'd lay a sheet of polyethylene down beneath anything. And then I'd use solid pavers. Even with plastic, weeds will find a way through. The difference is, you can weedwhack around pavers, but don't try it around gravel!

I agree with Richard. I have pea gravel and I wish that I would have gone with just solid pavers. Pea gravel gets spread around, sticks to the bottom of your feet, and cannot be anywhere near a line trimmer.

Weeds are very easy to kill in pea gravel -roundup. But the little stones do go everywhere.

I'd use solid pavers, or large stepping stones with with grass around them. If the stones are set at the same height as the grass you can mow right over them.

Careful which pavers you buy...I have some to the pool and they get soooo hot we cant walk on them during the day. Looking for something to replace them with now. I did try mulch first and it was messy but at least we could walk on it.

I hate gravel. I'd prefer concrete pavers touching solidly as possible. If you must stretch out for economy, fill with sandy soil and assorted creeping thymes. Mix solid and variegated thyme, very pretty and takes traffic, loves sun. Be cheap and cut each 4"pot in quarters. Yes, you can cook with it too.

Well, my vote was for solid pavers too, but Leo didn't want the expense, so I had to go with the pea gravel, BUT, I am still going to get a few pavers as stepping stones because the pea gravel gets stuck in flip flops and sandals. No problem with the grass yet. Used Round up on the dirt first, and along each edge of the walkway then cut clear shower curtains in half and laid them end to end down along the path, then spread the pea gravel. This weekend come the stepping stones. It looks so nice now. So much nicer than walking on the grass and the pool is clean as whistle!

How about this. Pea gravel then build a wooden boardwalk. Lay 4 x 4's in the pea gravel like a railroad track and cut deck boards to go on top across them. JMO.

We have river rock with big flagstones set into it. Very clean and easy to take out any weeds which may pop up. Always have landscaping fabric under all applications. Saves a ton of work!

If you like red, this is what we use as a less expsensive way of making a less used walkway in our pool. It's called "seneca stone" and comes in 2 different sizes. What you see here is the smaller size and they have 1/2" size also. You can buy these concrete molds at Home Depot that take a bag of concrete and you can create steps as indicated earlier in between the stone. The white and red is a good contrast. Whatever you get, don't get dark stepping stones as stated earlier. I have a PA Bluestone deck all around my pool with a buff sandstone line throughout. It's amazing the difference in heat retention between the dark Bluestone and the white buff sandstone. It makes for a pretty neat looking design also.

Hi guys,
If pea gravel and pavers are used weeds will without doubt take root. I use a weed torch to take care of these weeds. Haven't needed/used chemicals in years.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page ... 2,2300,448

A propane torch will eliminate the weeds for much longer than any chemicals. I use it all the time in my gravel driveway. I only have to do it twice a year. Can't wait to have a concrete driveway.