What to put on top of landscape fabric
Here are some common materials you can place on top of landscape fabric when installing gardens or landscaping:
- Mulch – Organic mulches like shredded bark, wood chips, nut shells, etc. help beautify beds while the fabric keeps weeds at bay.
- Gravel – Smooth or decorative gravel is a popular choice for pathways. The fabric prevents weeds from growing up in between the cracks.
- Stone – Decorative stones like river rock, limestone, slate make an attractive topping. Fabric gives a smooth base beneath.
- Pavers – Landscape fabric supports sand or compacted gravel for installing paver patios, walkways without weeds growing up.
- Plants – You can place potted plants, nursery plant plugs or sod rolls directly on top of fabric covered soil for transplanting.
- Landscape timbers – Fabric allows neatly outlining garden beds with pressure treated or cedar timbers planted into the ground.
- Ornamental grasses – Clumping ornamental grasses like bamboo, liriope add texture planted through holes cut in the fabric.
- Groundcovers – Low growing plants such as thyme, creeping phlox, ajuga create a living mulch covering the fabric.
- Planter boxes – Place planter boxes, raised beds or container gardens on top of fabric for a weed-free area to plant in.
Properly installing and securing the edges of the fabric provides a stable base for most hardscaping or planting materials.
