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Walkways can be direct lines from point A to point B or meander with easy curves.Garden image by Anna Kowalczyk from Fotolia.com
Lay out the design for your walkway with string or spray paint. Spray paint works best for a meandering walkway. Remove the top layer of soil to provide a flat surface for the base. - 2). Tamp the soil down to a 4-inch depth. Fill the wheelbarrow with the soil you removed. Lay a 1-inch layer of sand in the walkway and tamp down. Check for level.
- 3). Lay out a 4-by-10-foot tarp. Add 1/2 bucket of clay soil, 1/4 bucket of sand, 1/8 bucket of straw chopped into 5- or 6-inch pieces and enough water to make the ingredients the consistency of peanut butter.
- 4). Stir by standing on the edge of the tarp and lift the tarp on the opposite side of the mix. Pull it toward you, turning the mix onto itself. Tread on the mix with bare feet to make a dough-like product. Stir often by pulling up the edge of the tarp while you tread.
- 5). Add a little more water if the mix dries out. Flatten the cob to add more straw, 1/8 of a bucket at a time until a handful holds together well and does not crumble when dropped from shoulder height. Flatten the cob to cut out patterns or use molds in which to pack the cob. They should be at least 4 inches deep.
- 6). Place the cut-outs or the mold-shaped pieces of cob in the sun to dry. Check the cob frequently, turning every hour so it dries evenly. This may take anywhere from one to three days, depending on the weather.
- 7). Line the edges of the walkway with plastic edging to prevent grass from growing into the walkway. Plastic can also be used to lie flat inside the walkway to help prevent grass and weeds from growing. Place the cob inside the walkway with edges about 1/8-inch apart, once it is completely dried.
- 8). Repeat the mixing of cob ingredients, drying the cob and laying or setting the cob into the walkway until it has been filled. Once filled, place a layer of sand on top and gently tamp until the sand settles. Use an easy stream of water to settle the sand into the crevices.
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