Question
Hi Kenneth,

I recently removed an old stepping stone path and replaced it with new stones. To do so, I had to pull up the existing "lawn" if you can call it that -- mostly a collection of various weeds & strange grasses. I replaced the old "lawn" with top soil and set the stepping stones into the top soil.

I was planning to lay new grass seed around & between the steppings stones. However, I am now wondering if it would be better to simply lay down mulch instead.

What do you think about grass vs. mulch in this situation? The path runs along the side of our house, very close to an exterior wall.  Therefore, I am wondering how grass compares to mulch in terms of:

- drainage
- maintenance
- appearance
- weed control

Thanks so much for your help and opinions.

Brian

Answer
Grass will not affect drainage, which should be arranged seperately. Grass will have to be mowed whereas mulch wil have to be replaced every so often if you use organic mulch (bark). Stone mulch is no-maintenance. Personally, I like the appearance of grass, but if you do not have enough sun on the path it is not worth it as the grass growth will never be good. Both grass and mulch are good with weed control.

If you plant grass, plant a taller growing varity such as tall fescue and mow the lawn high (3.5-4.5"). This gives a very nice look when the grass surrounds the "sunken" stones.