Garden path ideas
The opportunity to walk beautifully through the garden and feel closer to nature is a great pleasure. Consider the garden path as a design element.
In late autumn, when the foliage has fallen, you can see everything that it hid. This time is often called the "period of simplicity", which provides an excellent opportunity to appreciate the structure of the landscape. Stone walls, fences, hedges and paths define the free space and delimit the garden.
How to choose a location for a track
If there is a well-trodden path through the garden, then the need to install a full-fledged footpath along this route is obvious.
Pay attention to how children and dogs usually walk through your area. So you will understand where it is preferable to lay out the road. Typically, this is a straight line, the shortest path between two points. Often, they don't even go near the paths that you would have done according to your plan.
Provide your guests with a convenient path
The clear lines of straight paths will lead visitors exactly in the direction you need, because they will constantly see the destination to which the path leads straight. Place regular walking stones on the lawn. This will reduce soil wear and prevent muddy, well-trodden paths where people walk most often. You can also focus their attention on some interesting object and make it a destination. The winding path invites guests to explore to find out what each turn hides.
The tracks must be wide enough
The width of the road is determined by the density of traffic on it. Decide if it will be for two people shoulder to shoulder, for a stroller, or if you will push a wheelbarrow on it. Consider also important safety points:
- the surface should be smooth and even, and the adhesion to it is reliable;
- good drainage;
- high-quality lighting if the track is used at night.
Avoid steep descents
If the path goes through terrain levels of different heights, you can build steps. That being said, make them the same: do not allow tall and narrow to go interspersed with low and wide, and also try to keep them in scale with your surroundings.
Materials for walkways and paths
There are many excellent materials to choose from for creating your desired garden design:
- Stone is the most popular natural stone. Remember that smooth stones such as flagstone or shale can be slippery when wet or due to ice in winter.
- The brick is easy to lay out by yourself. It is strong, durable and good for a large crowd. Place the blocks on a rock dust or sand base.
- Paving stone is more expensive than brick, but there are many variations.
- Mixed materials can be made up of any set of components that you think would work well for your application. Square slabs, cut bricks, blocks surrounded by gravel or paving stones all go well with creative planting.
- A crushed stone or gravel pavement will look like a stone river (or a dry riverbed) flowing through your yard. Rocks need solid boundaries that will keep them from shifting (otherwise, they will inevitably roll over the beds and flower beds when you shovel the snow from the path).
- Water can flow freely through the masonry, which is an excellent solution for wet soil. Stones can make noise and crunch underfoot, thereby warning you about the arrival of a group of friends.
- Bark mulch is readily available, easy to use and pleasant to the feet, and water flows through it unhindered and nourishes the roots of nearby plants. This is ideal for rustic gardens and wooded areas. It does not need to be swept, and when the top layer deteriorates, nothing is easier than pouring a new one on top.
- Grass edging seems simple at first glance, requiring little effort. On the contrary, she needs constant care (pruning, feeding and watering) if you want the greens to have a lush and healthy appearance in conditions of high traffic.
Try to match materials that are the same color or texture
It is a great pleasure to walk along such paths! Paths can be beautiful and functional at the same time, linking different areas of your site. Regardless of whether you choose elegant tiles, traditional bricks or paving stones - the road should be an element of the landscape and connect parts of the garden with each other. Take your time, take enough time to study all the details and decide how the future track will run.