Jumbo Flag or sometimes as it is called Mega flag is a 3-4” thick piece of natural stone with a natural top and broken or guillotined edges. They range in sizes, however I usually prefer skid sized pieces 3’x 4’pieces that weigh approx 400 - 500lbs

It may be hard to understand that you can install a passive walkway using jumbo flag in about 1/3 the time it would take to install a paving stone walkway of the same size. The reasons are simple with a paving stone walkway you have to:
· strip the topsoil and excavate down 8” below final paver height
· remove fill off site
· compact and install a granular base
· install a fine granular leveling base
· install and cut the pavers to suit
· compact the pavers
· sweep in a polymeric jointing sand

As with a jumbo flag walkway you only have to do the following:
· strip off the topsoil to a depth of 3”
· start installing the jumbo flag pieces and spud bar them into final position
· sweep the topsoil fill from excavation into the joints of the stones




There are a variety of plant material options for infilling the gaps between the stones such as simply adding turf between the cracks flush with the top of the flagstones so a lawn mower can travel overtop effortlessly. Another option is the addition of Creeping Thyme between the stones. Creeping Thyme grows about two to four inches high and can spread up to two or more feet in width. The leaves are very small, but dense and cover the low growing plants. Foliage color varies in shades of light to dark green and the variety 'Woolly' thyme has attractive grayish foliage.



The leaf color of the other varieties seems to vary with flower color, the lighter flowering varieties have lighter foliages. Flower colors range in shades of lavender, red, rose, or white. They flower in the late spring and early summer. The plants flower so prolifically; you can hardly see the evergreen leaves below. Creeping thyme is an easy plant to maintain, as it does not tend to take-over and can easily be confined to a specific area.





I am interested in your comments on this Jumbo Flag tutorial

Window wells tend to be boring considering that homeowners do spend a great deal of time inside their house looking outside into the landscape. By adding an interesting terraced boulder wall with colorful plants injected into the nooks and crannies of the boulders you now have an inviting look. Because this involves installing a series of heavy stones in the vicinity of your basement wall there are some site preparation required before the stone is installed. Listed below is an order of operations:
· excavate10” below the window sill and remove fill
· drill a series of 6” dia holes down to a depth of 4’
· install 6” sono tubes and cut the top off flush with the excavated grade
· lay 2” of ridged styrofoam SM onto the grade
· using 2x4” lumber form to the outside of the boulder wall
· install rebar stirrups into the sono tubes and in a grid on top of the Styrofoam
· pour, place and broom finish the concrete 3000psi with air entrainment






Once the base is prepared the next step is to install the stones onto the concrete footing and taking care to batter the stones back greater than 8” each lift to allow for planting pockets and to make the wall blend in better. The purpose is not to make a WALL but to terrace back the landscape boulders to let a greater deal of light into the basement. Below are some pictures of finished installations





Window wells have always been the lost item to be detailed, most homeowners inset a metal flange to handle the difference in grade. However with this type of natural installation you will quickly see the aesthetic benefits in:
· increased light in the basement
· colorful view from downstairs
· interesting view from outside
NOTE: make sure there is a proper drain at the height of the window sill that drains down to the weepers or storm drains.

Comments appreciated

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The Natural Stone Team