Landscaping with rocks seems simple: choose a few attractive stones, place them around the yard and admire your rugged, low-maintenance masterpiece. Then you try moving one.
Rock can make beautiful borders, paths, drainage areas and natural-looking stairs. But when building rock stairs, understand your own strength — or, I should say, your partner's. Mine quickly developed the confidence of a project foreman while I developed a new appreciation for gravity.
The real trick is planning before lifting. Choose manageable stones, prepare a stable base, use proper tools and get help with anything too heavy or awkward. Gloves and sturdy footwear are considerably cheaper than explaining an injury at urgent care.
Otherwise, you might find your hand under a rock — and that really is a hard place.
The finished steps can look wonderful. Just remember: rocks are patient. They can wait all day for you to make a bad decision.