Installing a Garden path | Garden pathways: Gardening

Helping You Become a More Successful Gardener

Paths welcome visitors to your garden, invite exploration and help set a tone for your overall theme. As a design element, walkways form boundaries and create lines for the eye to follow. On the practical side, garden paths provide access through your landscape and to your deck, patio or home. They’re as suitable for leisurely strolls as they are for trips with the wheelbarrow.

Stone paths are not only beautiful, they provide access to work spaces in the garden.

Before you decide how big your garden path should be or how it should look, you need to consider how you want to use it. Plan out the best circulation patterns through your garden, as well as your physical needs. Some paths can lead you on a delightful journey through the garden, used primarily in daylight during fair weather. Other paths can provide access to your home, toolshed or garage and may need to be traveled day or night in all kinds of weather. Such year-round paths need to be made of weather-tolerant, durable materials that also work harmoniously with your garden and your home.

If your yard is on the larger side and your garden paths will be long, the walkways should encourage a slow trek to enjoy nature as they take visitors deeper through the garden. (These paths can be more circuitous and constructed of less durable materials than access paths.) No matter where the garden path takes you, it’s a good idea to have a payoff at the end of it. It can be as simple as an accent plant, a water feature or a quaint bench for resting, reflecting and enjoying the garden’s beauty.

The more you use your garden pathway, the wider and safer you should make it. A path that’s 5 feet wide (imagine a city sidewalk) allows two people to comfortably walk side by side. In most cases, something narrower is usually sufficient, but most paths should range somewhere between 30-48 inches wide. If you intend to run any large equipment down your pathways (a lawn mower tractor and trailer, for example), be sure the width of your path can accommodate the size – with some room to spare.

When it comes to garden path materials, there are many kinds you can use. Just be sure to select something appropriate for your garden theme – natural materials (like stone) are great for natural themes, while manmade materials work well for a more modern garden. Consider loose materials, including bark chips, gravel and crushed shells for seldom-used paths. For access paths, create a natural look that will hold up to the elements, such as stone pieces with either sand or groundcovers filling breaks in the grout. A winding path of stepping-stones is charming in out-of-the-way parts of the garden, yet still provides safe access and secure footing.

Informal curving garden paths are appropriate for natural landscape spaces. A flagstone pathway adds a particularly lovely and authentic visual element to a natural garden. The following step-by-step guide shows how to install your own flagstone path. Take the measurements from your garden plan to determine the quantity of stones and amounts of coarse sand, weed-barrier fabric and dwarf club moss you’ll need. Then gather a shovel, tamping tool, measuring tape, level, rubber mallet, rake and broom, and follow the steps shown in the pictures and described in their captions. With a little work, you’ll be on the path to a natural garden walkway!

Garden Pathway

Garden Pathway - Step 1

Remove existing plants where you want your garden path to run, and excavate the soil approximately 5 inches deep. Tamp the soil until it’s compact and stable, then lay down weed-barrier fabric.

Garden Pathway - Step 2

Lay 3 inches of coarse sand over the tamped-down soil. Rake, level and tamp again.

Garden Pathway - Step 3

Score stones with a chisel and then tap to size them to fit into the allotted space.

Garden Pathway - Step 4

Set flagstones about 1-2 inches apart, bedding them into the sand until level.

Garden Pathway - Step 5

Seat each stone into place by tapping it with a mallet. Check to make sure they’re level and adjust as needed, adding or removing sand.

Garden Pathway - Step 6

Fill the spaces between stones with a mix of sand and topsoil, using a rake and broom.

Garden Pathway - Step 7

Plant grass seed or groundcovers like dwarf club moss around the stones. The plants will eventually fill in some of the cracks and soften the edges, creating a nice contrast with the rough, hard stone.

Facts

A signature of cottage gardens is the natural path leading to the front door. (Stone is an easy pick for this type of walkway.)

Tips

Look for ways to coordinate your garden path with your overall garden theme. (A path of wood chips through a woodland garden might be appropriate, for example.) It’s a good idea to include indigenous stone or other regional materials in a natural garden anytime you can.
Bring samples of paving stones and wood chips (or whatever pathway materials you’re considering) home to your garden to see how they look in your setting. Be sure to consider the sustainability and appearance of each candidate under various weather conditions before making your final decision.

Faqs

Q: Do I need to coordinate my pathway with other garden elements?
A: It’s not a bad idea. If you’ve already used flagstone for terracing a slope in the back yard, for example, it might also make a suitable matching pathway. Of course, they don’t have to match – just make sure that whatever structural elements you do have don’t clash with your garden path.
Q: How does wood hold up in a garden pathway?
A: Wood can make a nice garden path, but it does degrade. If you’re not willing to maintain it and replace parts over time, then stick with a more durable walkway material, like stone.

Next Steps

Creating a Stroll Garden – a Resolution With Endless Appeal
Tackling a major landscape project? What’s the rush? Breaking the job into years-worth of work means taking the time to get it done right. (And you’ll never run out things to do!) Here’s how one gardening expert is creating his Japanese-inspired stroll garden – one resolution at a time.
Simple, Plantable Paving
One of the easiest ways to make a path or patio in mild climates is to lay pavers on a bed of sand. Leave enough room between the pavers, and you can stick interesting plants in the gaps.
From Coastal Gardens to the Deserts & Tropics (a Natural Geography Lesson)
The first step in creating a natural garden is to let Mother Nature be your guide. Is your home seaside? Think coastal garden. Live in an arid region? Look to the desert. And if your weather’s hot and steamy, embrace that tropical garden paradise. Learn how…

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Installing Natural Garden Paths