I just wanted to update this thread.. I am now finally getting around to landscaping our back yard after many road blocks. So decomposed granite and crusher fines or “chat” are not the same thing. DG is a naturally occuring erosion process created by mother nature and time and the product result is smoothish rounded pieces compared to crushed fines which are rough, jagged edged pieces that show signs of manually being broken or crushed and that is exactly how crusher fines or chat are made, they are crushed and broken apart with heavy equipment. To reduce the risk of tracking in the fine particulates of DG into the house it is suggested to use a larger sized DG. For light duty pathways that may never see the use of a wheelbarrow or trailer running over it then a 1/4” DG or crusher fines can be used but for utility pathways then a 3/8” DG or crusher fine will want to be used. There is this great little E book called “Decomposed Granite…..” by leslie patten and it goes over how to install a long lasting DG patio with proper road base installation and DG installation and there are no stabilizers needed or weed barrier and most surprising and contrary to popular belief is that you do not in fact install 2”-4” of decomposed granite. I highly recommend getting her Ebook and learning more about how to install DG using this method. I now suspect the reason DG is not widely sold in Utah has to do with the water retention + heavy moisture = slow draining so you end up with standing water and mud pits. The chat or crusher fines however are usually filled with sand or dirt to give it a denser compaction ability and to offer color variation. so for the most part after going back and looking at my original sources local to Utah for ”decomposed granite” I have since discovered some of the places are actually selling crushed fines and not decomposed granite. I can now identify the distinct characteristics between the two products. it is my understanding that installing anything less than 3/8” DG or crusher fines can result in a very soft and mushy ground cover and should be reserved for use in garden beds or used in areas that have imbedded paver stones and see minimal traffic. i hope this helps others who may stumble upon this!

I am someone who did the science degree at 45 years (my first degree) and then ended up an academic - I ended up sad at the mess that our Universities are now in and walked out at 60 earlier this year - on the spur of the moment, after having lunch in the country town I now live in and love. I sold my city house to the man next door the next day and bought my dream (seen after the lunch the day before for the first time). So, after 20 years of sitting at a computer, I now look after 4 ducks, 2 drakes (I love them), a Silkie rooster and I think now 8 hens of different colors and sizes - they all live together with no pecking order (maybe because they are spoilt?), 2 dogs, and I am now looking after a friend's dog as well, and 2 ponies whom I absolutely adore. And some wildlife, I have had to learn so much as I find it hard to do all the right things, but I have a teacher about the horses one morning a week, and I am getting better. There is so much to do with all these animals, it takes me hours each day and of course I enjoy them all so much. I am now going to learn to ride so that one day when he grows up a bit more (as he is only 2 yrs) I can ride the larger pony as he is 12.5 hands and very stocky. I walked them down to the village showground today and as often as I can and we "talk" to the other horses down there and anyone else who likes to talk to us - I will get a reputation as the lady who takes her horses for a walk. It keeps me busy - I buy papers and never get to read them. I have also opened a small B&B which is booked on weekends and so one day a week I am flat out making it all beautiful and then I try to keep a low profile on the weekend so the guests can have as much privacy as possible. That's when I go shopping as the shops are all a long way away so I head off to look at nurseries with the dogs in tow. Life is truly wonderful. Granville44 - if you ever need a treat for some kids who would like a few days of country life and who would be kind to my animals, I have a 3 bedroom B&B on 5 acres just 2 hours from Sydney and would be happy to offer this to a church or charity group occasionally - I once had a teenage son who had some serious problems so now that I am older, I would always like to be able to put some joy back. Email me if you wish Kevarose

Hmmmm... looks like I'll be using a jackhammer a bit this weekend. I checked the location other two I planted on the weekend (the fourth is still in its bag) by driving a long starpicket into the ground - and there is at least a metre of topsoil available to them. Yes, we are reasonably close to the top of a ridge in hilly Lugarno in suburban Sydney, so the ground is naturally rocky in most places - having said that, there are some extremely large eucalypts around that seem to have no problem at all. Sigh - its hard to know when putting in the trees how big they will ultimately grow in their partly shaded position. It would be too bad if they never got to the minimum 3.5 metres that I need them to - but it would be a pain if they got much over 7 metres. I figured A.Smithii seemed to be the best choice - short of having a crystal ball. Is there anything I could do to try and predict their mature size - under the assumption that I can give them a good metre or so of topsoil? The size range on the web seems to be between 6 metres and 20 metres. I figure (and hope) that in a garden in Sydney, the norm is closer to 6.

I have a steep sloping site on the Central Coast and have selectively planted a lot of different natives. In the smaller gaps between the rocks I have planted a mix of native grasses, mainly different Lomandras and Dianellas. As for the grasses, at the base of the slope where it is likely to be damper I have planted L. hystrix, L. 'Tanika' and a few others. As it gets dryer further up the slope, I have planted L.'Tanika'and L. longifolia. I have also dispersed the following shrubs as well; Syzygiums such as S. luehmanii, S. australe "Pink Cascade' and others. These have been planted in areas where there is some residual moisture. You are likely to find residual moisture at the base of the rocks. Further up where it dries out more and there is a bit of sun, I have planted Banksias among the Lilly-pillies, such as B. spinulosa, (which happens to be my favourite) B. ericafolia and a few of the cultivars. Myoporum parvifolium is fine in areas that get limited sun although total shade may be a problem. I find when you plant in areas that provide opportunities for the above varieties of natives you end up with a very attractive natural look.