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The most important thing to put under a rock garden is the appropriate soil. The specific soil needed will depend on the type of plants you’re growing as well as the environment you live in. You can also put non-woven or woven fabric under the rocks to add to the garden's structural stability.

Mulch is made from natural materials, which will break down and add nutrients to your soil for better plant and soil health, so removing old mulch is unnecessary before putting down new mulch. However, if you live in a particularly moist area, it’s possible that the old mulch will harbor fungus or mold, which can hurt plant health. If you notice these issues, you might want to consider removing the old mulch first. Otherwise, save time and money by placing new mulch right over the old mulch.

A yard of crushed concrete costs between $20 and $50. A single-car driveway will need 1.5 to 2.5 yards of crushed concrete, putting your material costs between $30 and $125, which is much less than you’ll pay for most driveway paving methods. Your total could vary based on the thickness you’re going for, and, of course, total prices will increase with added square footage for driveways that fit multiple cars.

A 50-pound bag of pea gravel equals approximately one-half of a cubic foot. That amount will cover a three-square-foot area to a depth of about two inches. A three-square-foot area with equal-length sides is approximately 1.73 feet by 1.73 feet, or about 20.75 inches on each side.