Moving Stone

We've had a lot of water this summer and it became more obvious that the water coming from the gutterless roof was washing out the pathways in the perennial garden.  I proposed getting a pallet of dry stack light stone which is what we built the walls of the house and garden with and using it to make a dry stream bed which when it rained would slow the water down.

 Here's the pallet of stone.  I thought when it was delivered it would be placed next to the driveway but the driver said he could take it with his forklift where I wanted it.  This worked out perfectly for my back.

 Here's the rain barrel with the beginnings of the stone being laid around it.  The hose coming out of the top is for overflowing water.  The hose runs out of the perennial bed so there isn't a waterfall coming from the rain barrel which has been ever full this summer.

 Above and below are some of the eroded areas.  Believe it or not I did mulch these areas in the early summer but the mulch ends up down hill with the rain.

 Here is what's left of the pallet of stone.  I have to wait for rain to see if I need to expand the dry steam beds.  If I don't these stones will go into more flower bed walls.

 Here's the finished area next to the rain barrel.  We could return the grill to its spot now perched on rocks.

Here's another view of the completed bed of stones. I thought it would rain last night but it didn't so the stones didn't get washed off fully and I didn't get to test it to see how it slowed the water.  I planted creeping thyme between some of the stones and hope it spreads.