We have had a large log swing for several years now, and I love it. However, it is now up against the east side of our house, where I can sit and watch the sun go down...or watch our horses/donkeys in the pasture. I would like to make it more permanent. It is very hard for me to try to move it when I mow the lawn....(the bench seat is big enough for three people, with room for another, possibly). It becomes such a hassle every time I mow....it is just sitting in grass.

I would love some ideas to make something for it to sit on. Like a small patio type thing out in the yard. What I have in my head is some sort of oval area, perhaps with room to plant a couple shrubs on each side....with the ground around it being some sort of crushed gravel, and a border of some sort to keep the gravel/peagravel in. Does anyone have any pictures of something they've done similar to my idea? What are my gravel options? We use a crushed limestone for our barn floor....would something like that be suitable? I would then put weed barrier down before (for something like this, do I still need a base of larger rock first?) and don't mind spraying for weeds in this area from time to time. But this swing is so big, one of these days I'm going to hurt myself moving it...I don't often have help at the time I need it.