path and patio

I am putting in a gravel path and patio area this weekend and have a few questions. For the 8-10ft patio area I plan on laying down square pavers spaced about 3-4 inches apart with gravel inbetween the pavers. So I have a few choices on gravel. I can order 1/4-3/4 minus gravel or smooth river rock of the same sizes. I thought that the small size rock would pack down more firmly and be nicer to walk on AND fit better between the pavers. But maybe the larger size would be less likely to be stuck in shoes and wouldn't get kicked off the path as easy? I just don't know!!!!!
Also do you think that the pavers spaced with gravel in between will be an easy area to put chairs on? I hate the look of pavers that are packed tightly together.
Okay, one last question. I was planning on laying the gravel 2-3 inches deep on the pathway. Any input on the depth would be great. As would any input on the gravel size/type and my paver spacing idea!!!!!!!!

What about ground cover between them instead of rocks?

Betterbloom, I love the look of ground cover between pavers! However, I am in the process of xeriscaping my yard and the patio area gets full hot sun during the summer. I don't want to water and I know that no matter what I plant I will have to water.
What do you think about round river rock versus gravel? And do you think tiny (1/4 minus) or medium size like (3/4 minus)?

Our (admittedly limited) experience with making a stone path is that bigger is always better. The smaller the stones, the more they slide, shift, and go where you don't want them to! I believe another recommendation from the pros is decomposed granite, because once you tamp it down, the structure of it 'locks' into place, unlike river rock. Good luck!

try turkish veronica or wooly thyme. Once established, neither one needs any extra water. I used them in the last project we did here -- all xeric:

greenjay, that's nice!

I agree with Jk....DG would look great and not wash away or get caught in your shoes.

we used regular builder's sand, on top of clay. No gravel or landscape cloth base, because the plants between the stones should evolve into more of a "rock garden" over time. The edges are butted up against a 2' rock "wall" composed to look like boulders that fall naturally into the streambeds and ravines here in the rockies.

Greenjay, how creative! Please post another photo when the plants grow in.

LOL

You're looking at it. You can't crowd the beds with plants if you maintain a xeric watering schedule. By the end of the summer the nepeta and coreopsis I plant around my roses create a "cloud" of blue and yellow flowers that makes it look like there are more plants, but actually they are al at least 2' (some 3') apart. The roses need the air circulation, and there are "moats" dug around the base of the larger roses to make sure th water soaks in near the roots instead of washing off.

Will you have any plants growing between the rocks as you described in the previous post?

I have been putting various kinds of mat-forming and creeping plants like wooly thyme, turkish veronica, serbian yarrow in between the rocks and the stepping stones. First time around I planted a lot of turkish veronica, and it got swiped but one of the neighbors, never figured out who. So now I am a bit more sneaky, a little bit here and there. Also I set the kids to keep an eye out for other adults digging around in the garden. They like to walk barefoot in the wooly thyme (!), and are very defensive of that piece of garden now. LOL

Greenjay~ are you saying a pest walking with two legs "swiped your turkish veronica" out of your garden?...What a shame! Bad enough with the garden pests that don't have reasoning capacity without the human pests joining in! ;0)

In fact the ONLY kind of "vermin" I deal with on a regular basis are the 2-legged variety.