Sounds like a nice yard.

You say,
"I really want to pave the courtyard with decomposed granite,"
Then you say,
"I don't want gravel or woodchip which is too scrunchy underfoot for this area"

Decomposed granite acctually is gravel. Unless you are refering to some kind of exposed agrigate pathway that contains granite?

I'm an old school lanscaper and we never used words like "decomposed rock" for what has alway been "gravel".
To a gravel pit, gravel is either screened and washed or just screened. Unwashed gravel has "fines" in it which are the tiny particles of crushed rock and possibly tiny amounts of organic matterial.

Gravel with fines in it makes a nice hard pack after watered and compressed. Gravel without fines in it is shifty any never really packs down hard but is great for drainage.

All gravel pits have crushed gravel with fines and without. FInd a color you like and it's more or less the same thing as decomposed granite.

There must be a town not too far away that sells crushed granite. Theres a lot of granite in Utah.

I doubt it would be too insane to have some delivered depending on how far away it has to come.

Have you been to all the rock and gravel places within 50 miles to see if they have something that will satisfy you?

This website has a pretty good description of the various types of stone products.

I've never used DG, but I've read that it turns to mud in wet weather and will stick to your shoes and get tracked into the house. I have no direct experience that this is the case.

Why do you feel brick or pavers would be too busy? After a while, they weather a bit, get mossy in spots, and you can plant thyme or other creepers in some of the joints, depending on how sunny the area is. Once they are in for a while, I think they blend in nicely, especially if you choose your material to harmonize with the house or other elements in the garden.

Here is a link that might be useful: link

>Then you say,
>"I don't want gravel or woodchip which is too scrunchy >underfoot for this area"

>Decomposed granite acctually is gravel. Unless you are >refering to some kind of exposed agrigate pathway that >contains granite?

The fellow I talked to that is familiar with the stuff says DC looks like broken windshield glass and that along with the fines cause it to lock together better than rubble gravel, plus I've seen organic binder advertised that can be used to strengthen the bonds. The gravel I see most often used around here is pea gravel which scatters everywhere, tufa which doesn't bind at all and the usual dirty white/grey driveway gravel, which supposedly would bind together, but doesn't in most cases I have seen and is the wrong color.

Why no pavers?

It doesn't fit the picture I have in my mind of what I want. It may be that I'll need to edit that picture and use pavers, but I want to try as much as possible to fit my vision before I have to resort to plan B.

I hadn't heard about the wet/mud factor though, that will be something to ask about.

I have found one place with what they described as crushed red granite-3 to 4 inch chunks of livid pink. Definitely not what I'm looking for.

I need to make a trip out of the valley and look at other sources, it's just my busy season at work and in my vegetable garden and biking, so I don't have much time to get away, and with gas over $3/gal I'm trying by phone and internet to narrow the possiblities before I spend a day on the road.

thanks for the information. It is helpful.

Ellen

Contact Staker/Parsons about what you are seeking. They have landscape product centers in Salt Lake City and I believe down in Lehi. They would be the most likely source of the material you are seeking- of they'd at least know how to get it.

Moss on pavers isn't a big issue in Utah as moss pretty much can't grow here- too dry. I understand that you aren't looking to do pavers though. It sounds like you know what you want. Good luck!

thanks Bindersbee, that is a good resource. I don't see DC there, but the fire rock chat is very close to what I want.

There's an outlet in the next town, but the response to my question about the chat was "the WHAT?" I might be able to get it in Ogden, only 50 miles away, certainly in SL which is 80 miles.

Beats my previous source, in Wisconsin by a long shot.

Ellne

Crushed granite is also often sold as "stone dust". It's finer than gravel and most often used as a setting bed for dry-laid paving. It compacts well especially after contact with water.