How do I create a dry creek bed??

Ginny
by Ginny

I have a spot in my front yard with a slight natural slope that i thought my look good for a dry creek bed. How do i get start? Any pitfalls to watch out for?

  4 answers
  • 2dogal 2dogal on Oct 14, 2018

    Plan it on paper first. Then take a hose and outline where you want your dry creek bed. Get rocks and gravel of different sizes for contrast and interest. Add a few plants, maybe some tall decorative grasses and you are good to go. Keep it sprayed with a weed killer and blow out any leaves that get in the rocks and gravel with a leaf blower to keep it looking pristine.

    Some may say to line it first with a garden liner, but after a few years they will disintegrate and show. It's a mess pulling out all the old liner. Spraying weeds with a weed killer and a before they come up, with a pre-emergent works well.

    • Ginny Ginny on Oct 14, 2018

      What’s the best way to keep rocks, gravel, etc. from sliding?

  • Zard Pocleeb Zard Pocleeb on Oct 14, 2018

    Figure out exactly where you want it then lay down landscape fabric. Put your rocks in the area then put plants along both sides. Maybe even put a small animal or two such as a bird or a squirrel.

  • Bijous Bijous on Oct 14, 2018

    Hi. I'm in the process of doing just that. Used a tiller to get up the soil, then put down weed blocker material. I used decomposed granite as the base then put down salt and pepper Colorado river rock (they are about the size of an ostrich egg) for a 20x3 foot run. I ordered a ton of the river rock and it's really not enough. I plan on supplementing with smaller gravel since the river rock was pricey. Once all my planting is finished, I'm making faux larger rock using concrete, but the rocks need to be done in-place since they will be heavy. Good luck on yours!

  • Bijous Bijous on Oct 20, 2018

    Hi. I plan on making mine out of concrete that I'm going to shape and cover with plastic bags since I want them to be heavy. Once they've cured - about a week - I will faux paint to match the salt and pepper river rocks. Hope this helps!