Inspired by a magazine article about recycled brick, our Reader Projects, Mike Stewart, decided to build a brick path through his garden of nearly 100 different roses and as many perennials. But he didn’t want a new path; he wanted his to look old and weather-worn. As luck would have it, he discovered a crumbling, vacated brick factory dating back to the mid-1800s. It was owned by the family that owned the lumberyard across the street, and the owners agreed to let him take as much brick as he wanted, though there was a catch: He had to climb a steep hill, dig the bricks out by hand, and carry them back down where he could then load them in his vehicle to take home and unload them, again. Mike transported nearly 1,000 of them—eight at a time—home.

Mike’s backyard has excellent drainage, so he was able to lay the bricks for his 55-foot-long path on the existing surface. “I didn't have to worry about making it perfectly flat since the occasional rise and fall of the rows of bricks adds to the charm of the old, weathered look of the path,” he says.

He began by placing the outside bricks end to end. He filled in the borders with a running bond pattern (perpendicular to the outside). If needed, he used a brick saw with a diamond blade to cut bricks to length. He used brown aluminum landscape edging (with stakes) to hold the bricks in place. Next, Mike swept builder’s sand over the path and into the grooves to prevent weeds from growing.

Mike’s advice for anyone looking to install a path from “harvested” bricks:

• If you want old bricks, check salvage yards and building and remodeling sites.
• Ask permission from the property's owner before harvesting any bricks.
• Keep a bottle of aspirin handy for the inevitable aches and pains of lugging those heavy bricks, and take any necessary safety precautions, such as wearing a hardhat, long pants, and long sleeves. Watch out for poison ivy!
• Get a book on the subject to determine if you want or need to prepare your ground.

See more views of Mike’s path:
ground-level view; overhead view; side view.

Instead of brick, use stepping stones to form a path. Click here to see how to make pour-in-place versions.