Laying the Stone

• 1). Outline your concrete area with the pieces of lumber, driving wooden or metal stakes into the ground on the outside of the lumber using a hammer. Drive the stakes at equal intervals (about 12 inches). To keep the ends of the lumber at the corners from slipping away from one another, secure them together with a hammer and nails.
  
  
• 2). Obtain natural stones close to the same thickness and size, since the thickest stone will determine the thickness of the concrete layer for all of the stones.
  
  
• 3). Prepare small batches of concrete mixture in your bucket. To make the concrete mixture, combine one part cement with three parts sand, then add water to make the mixture rather thick but still thin enough to allow you to press your natural stones into it.
  
  
• 4). Choose a point within your outlined concrete area to begin laying your natural stones. Lay them one at a time, tapping each once or twice lightly to ensure that it has become embedded in the concrete mixture. To set the stones, pour a small amount of the concrete mixture where you plan to lay the first stone, then set the stone carefully into the concrete mixture, making sure you've placed the top of your stone about 1/4 inch lower than the top of the lumber barrier.
  
  
• 5). To set the next stone, find a stone that fits nicely against the first stone. Repeat the process of pouring a small amount of concrete mixture and tapping the stone into place. Work with one stone at a time, piecing them together, until you outline the entire area of concrete.
  
  
• 6). Allow the stones along the edge to sit for 24 to 48 hours so the concrete mixture can harden completely and the outer stones can set properly.
  
  
• 7). To cover the inner area of the concrete, do a little preliminary work: Before pouring your concrete, make sure the rocks fit together properly. When you get several stones that fit together nicely, pour the concrete and set them down into it, remembering to tap them lightly to embed them firmly.
  
  
• 8). Once you have laid all of the internal stones, allow them to set for 24 to 48 hours, so that the concrete mixture can become very firm.
  
  
• 9). After three days have passed, use a garden hose to rinse off any debris that may have accumulated, such as chips from the natural stones or concrete mixture.