Grouting flagstone in The Tropical Paradise

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I got some bags of sand and some grout (actually they call it "Premium Polymer Sand") at Home Depot today and am beginning the process of grouting the flagstone. Macintosh, the good little wiener dog, is satisfied with her new stairs. You may recall that she suffered a herniated disc in her back but has made a miraculous recovery. There were some people who suggested a ramp, but that would be very bad for her (or anyone with back or ankle injuries) in your yard. Remember that someone (or somedog) with these injuries find slopes and inclines very difficult, even painful. If you have never suffered an injury like this, you may find it hard to imagine, but just imagine that you are being asked to go up and down a very steep slope and you will get the idea. Stable, flat surfaces are critical.

But keeping your Tropical Paradise accessible doesn't mean it has to be ugly. I used some spare flagstone that I had sitting along the edge of my house, experimented to see what worked best, and am now putting in the grout. Remember that the grout is largely decorative, it doesn't really hold anything in place. To make flagstone work, it has to be placed carefully. What you don't see is the sand and the small rocks in key areas.

And, as you can see, I am a big believer in the use of rocks. They make a great transition from the flagstone to the garden. They also help with drainage, and best of all, these are a lot of bulbs planted among them. As the bulbs grow, I move some of the rocks out of the way. As they die back, I put the rocks back in.

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