The torrential rains we had in December & January demolished my japanese garden path, burying the white gravel and stepping stones under several inches of displaced dirt.
After digging out all the stepping stones (carefully recording their order and orientation!), I had to recover all of the gravel one bucket at a time and wash it. Quite a process.
Added some improvements to path this time: a french drain on the steepest mounded area, modifications to the drainage areas at both ends of the path and a layer of good-quality landscape fabric under the stones and gravel to hopefully keep the weed issue better at bay.
Then reassembly!
All-told, this project took several weeks to finish. I'll be sure to better sandbag the area prior to future rains so I don't have do this again.