How to fix a path

[sunnysidegold]

we bought our house a few years ago and it had beautiful mature gardens which had been left neglected for a while. I've been working hard to cut back and dog out overgrown or dead things and it is starting to take shape.

Our garden has a few stepped paths which run down to beside our pond. The steps are edged with big stones and then filled in with small stones. Due to neglect, it is now covered in weeds, moss and alpine strawberries. I've been trying to tackle these but it just seems like a massive job.

We don't tend to use weedkiller except on the tarmac round the house and I'd be reluctant to use it with the proximity to the pond for the potential run off.

Would it be best to shovel out all the stones and refill the steps or just keep pulling....and pulling....and pulling? Or is there something clever I could do?

I’d pull up any tall weeds that could set seed and then hoe through the smaller stones if you can. It will take a while but it’s less backbreaking.

A mixture of salt and white vinegar, makes an organic weed killer.

The most successful, non chemical treatment I've tried it is one I read here, a kettle of boiling water. It's shifted stubborn dandelions that nothing else has worked on. Make sure it can't run into the pond though.

Thank you for these replies!
Funny I was talking to my friend's mum the other day and she suggested the boiling water too.

I will give these a go, thanks again!