Ideas for garden paths

Opportunity nice walk through the garden and feel closerto nature is a great pleasure. Consider a garden path as a design element.

In late autumn, when the foliage has fallen, you can see everything that she hid. This time is often called the “period of simplicity,” which provides an excellent opportunity to evaluate the structure of the landscape. Stone walls, fences, hedges and paths define the free space and limit the garden.

How to choose a place for the track

If there is a walkway through the garden, then there is an obvious need to install a full-fledged pedestrian path along this route.

Notice how children and dogs usually pass through your site. So you will understand where it is preferable to lay out the road. As a rule, it is a straight line, the shortest path between two points. Often, they are not even close by with the ways that you would have done according to your plan.

Provide your guests with a convenient way

Clear lines of straight paths lead visitors exactly in the direction you need because they will constantly see the destination to which the path leads straight. Place regular pedestrian stones on the lawn. Thus, you will reduce soil wear and prevent the appearance of a dirty, trodden path where people walk most often. You can also focus their attention on an interesting object and make it a destination. The winding path invites guests to explore to find out what each turn hides.

The tracks should be wide enough

The width of the road is determined by the density of traffic on it. Decide whether it will be designed for two people shoulder to shoulder, for a stroller, or you will push a car on it. Consider also the important points for safety:

• the surface should be smooth and level, and the grip with it is reliable;
• good drainage;
• high-quality lighting, if the track is used in the dark.

Avoid steep descents

If the path passes through different levels of the landscape, you can build steps. At the same time, make them the same: do not let the high and narrow go mixed with low and wide, and also try to keep them in scale with the environment.

Materials for walkways and tracks

There are many excellent materials to choose from to create the desired garden design:

1. Stone is the most popular natural surface. Remember that smooth stones, such as limestone or slate, can be slippery when wet or in winter due to ice.
2. Brick is easy to lay out on your own. It is strong, durable and good for large crowds. Install the blocks on a foundation of stone dust or sand.
3. A paving stone is more expensive than a brick, but there are a large number of variations.
4. Mixed materials can consist of any set of components that, in your opinion, are well suited in a particular case. Square stone slabs, cut brick, blocks surrounded by gravel, or cobblestones — all combine well with creative plantings.

1. A gravel or gravel covering will look like a stone river( or a dry riverbed) flowing through your yard. Stones need reliable boundaries that will keep them from shifting( otherwise, they will inevitably roll over the beds and flower beds when you clean the path from the snow with a shovel).
2. Water can flow freely through the masonry, which is an excellent solution for wet soil. Stones can make noise and crunch under your feet, thereby warning you about the arrival of a group of friends.
3. Bark mulch is easily accessible, easy to use and pleasing to the feet, while water passes through it unhindered and nourishes the roots of nearby plants. This cover is ideal for country garden and woodland. It does not need to sweep, and with the deterioration of the upper layer, there is nothing easier than to pour a new one on top.
4. Edging grass seems at first glance a simple matter, not requiring much effort. On the contrary, she needs constant care( pruning, food and watering), if you want the greens to have a lush and healthy look in a high-traffic conditions of the track.

Try to select materials that are the same in color or structure

Walk along these paths - a great pleasure! Paths can be beautiful and, at the same time, functional, linking different areas of your site. Regardless of whether you choose an elegant tile, a traditional brick or a stone blocks - the road should be an element of the landscape and connect the parts of the garden with each other. Take your time, spend enough time to study all the details and decide how the future path will run.

Making a path from old logs - video