Garden Design IdeasGarden Ideas, Photos and Tips for Gardening at Home
Natural endocarp and gravel pathway through a hayfield garden . Designers : Jay Withgott and Susan Masta . Photo : Janet Loughrey .
Pathways are an often - overlooked look of an out-of-door space , but are an substantive part of any garden intention . These avenues can be used to connect or carve up garden rooms , supply a mode to get to different role of the yard , and allow access to garden beds for upkeep chores .
A well - designed garden path adds kerb charm , provides safe , easy access to your home and through your yard , and integrates the outdoor outer space with your home ’s interior . These thoroughfare are not just a fashion to get from one place to another ; they can be just as beautiful as they are functional . Here are bakshis and pattern ideas for creating stylish path to augment your own landscape .
GET STARTED
Evaluate your yard.
value your grounds for attributes such as size and property , grade , light , drainage , and territory . Are you already using your pace for the activeness you revel , or are you starting from scratch ? Draw up a basic plan , include pathways to connect different field such as the front grounds and backyard . For more elaborated projects , confer a landscape excogitation professional .
Determine purpose.
Create a pathway by first deciding how it will be used . Do you need to get from one destination to another in the shortest distance ? Or to facilitate a leisurely promenade through the garden ?
Placement of pathways.
Site pathways in natural admittance routes such as from your house ’s front entrance to the drive , through aside thousand , leading to a garden shed , or where your dog likes to wander . path can also be placed in less obvious spots such as to maintain a mixed boundary line , or to thin through ameadow garden .
Traffic.
pass judgment the amount of foot traffic through different parts of the pace and choose materials consequently . For primary way such as from the house ’s front door to the street or public sidewalk , use more durable materials such as cementum or stone that will stand up to class - round usage and maintenance such as brighten snow and ice . For secondary footpath , such as to a secluded seating area area in a corner of the yard , a narrow path using barque or mulch may be more suitable .
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
A countrified stone path link up the front and back yards of this cottage - style garden . Designer : Mary DeNoyer . picture : Janet Loughrey .
Scale.
moot the musical scale of garden walkways . A path that is too all-inclusive can overpower a space , while one that is too narrow may be difficult to navigate . Make the nerve tract from your home ’s ingress to the pavement wide enough for two multitude to take the air abreast . A track guide to the garden shed should be wide enough to accommodate a garden cart or lawn lawn mower .
Grade.
Pathways may be constructed on level ground , a slope , orhillside . A meandering or zigzag path is safer along a extortionate slope than one that goes straight down . step , stairways , or terrace may be necessary as part of a hillside pathway .
Consider seasonal changes.
Unmortared bricks or pavers may be susceptible to icing heaving in colder clime . A stone path absorb heat , which may be beneficial in stale regions but problematic in raging climate during warm months .
Drainage.
check that that there is fair to middling drainage around pathway to prevent tolerate water during heavy rains .
Materials.
There are many different kinds of materials to construct pathways with . These can let in rock pavers , flagstone , brick , concrete , gravel , tile , barque , wood chips , tone , grass , or mulch . dissimilar textile achieve a certain look , and some are more durable than others .
Style.
The style of paths depend on your dwelling house and landscape . Use materials and people of colour for pathways that harmonize with your base ’s exterior and out-of-door feature . A square brick path complements a formalEnglish landscape painting , while a curved pathway made of bark or innate stones is more suitable to acottage garden .
Budget.
When perusing walkway ideas , consider how much you want to spend on materials . flag or pavers are more expensive than gravel or bark . To subdue price even further , count at free internet site or business organization that sell used pavers , bricks , or other materials . Bark chips may be available through a local landscape painting society that is happy to degenerate off chips for free rather than pay a fee to take them to a landfill .
Safety.
count all aspects of prophylactic when choosing materials , put in and maintaining paths . Some materials are easier to take the air on than others . Brick may become slippery when wet . Select materials that are peculiarly suited for pathways such as pea gravel or crushed stone and make certain they are properly stabilized when installed . set up stepping stones cryptical enough to prevent tripping or catch on a mower blade . verify pathway are well light at dark and install railing on steep grades .
Sustainability.
prefer locally source and eco - friendly material . A gravel path is more permeable than cementum , allowing H2O to leach into the soil rather than running off . Use recyclable organic materials such as bark mulch or Natalie Wood cow dung .
Maintenance.
look at criminal maintenance when choosing material . A concrete aggregate or flagstone pathway will be easy to maintain than Gunter Wilhelm Grass or bark . Keep footpath free of weeds , overgrown plants , and debris . Remove alga and moss from bricks and I. F. Stone .
DESIGN TIPS
This terraced crushed rock way of life is relate by step , with a large classic - style urn strategically placed as a focal period at the goal of the pathway to pull in the eye through the landscape . decorator : Scott Eckley . Photo : Alex Hayden .
Shape.
The material body of your track will help oneself see the look of your garden . A long straight path will make a quad finger narrower and longer , while a zag way of life will make it appear more spacious . A straight path is typically used to create a more formal look , while a weave track is fit to informal landscapes . A curved path can make intrigue and compel visitors to explore , while a round track is often used to delineate a quadrant or labyrinth garden .
Sound and texture.
Do n’t leave the subtle shock of sounds made by walk on sure nerve tract material , result in distinct audible experience . For example , a rustic area garden derive to creative thinker when find out the satisfying sound of crushed rock crunching underfoot or the feeling of formality create by the sharp echoes of smooth , polished granite . As problematic as they may be , go like this are no less important in produce some of the garden ’s elusive yet impactful layers in the garden .
Include edging.
To delimit pathways and keep easy textile such as gravel from spilling into beds , use landscape edging made of metallic element or credit card . path can also be edged with bricks or stone . utilise a powered lawn edger to keep sens pathways from becoming overgrown .
Proportions.
When spacing stones or construction bench or stair , make certain they are operable and safe . Lay stones a well-fixed distance apart for stepping , with about 18 to 24 inches between the midway part of the stones . step should be uniformly shape , 4 to 8 inches tall and at least 12 inches deep .
Add structures.
utilise a gate , arbor , treillage , or pergola to embellish a footpath . Adorn with climbing plants such asroses , clematis , orflowering vinesto soften structures and add a survive constituent .
Repetition.
Use the same component such as containers , arbors , or establish down the duration of a pathway to lend unity to the design .
Add a focal point or destination.
To pull out the oculus through the landscape , site a statue , container or other feature at the end of a path . Place a bench or other seating area along a route for a space to slack .
Keep it simple.
When aggregate nerve pathway material , plant life , and structure such as pergola and pergolas , do n’t use too many unlike - look elements to keep the design from being too busy and without focal point .
Plants.
Choose smaller industrial plant to mince pathway edges . These can includeground coverssuch as bugleweed , lamb ’s ear , or grovel phlox ; annuals such assweet alyssum , wax begonia , or dwarf zinnia ; or perennials such ashosta , sedges , lady ’s mantle , orlavender . In more schematic landscapes , chooseboxwoodto outline footpath . Select works for attributes such as strength , fragrance , and multi - seasonal entreaty .
Mix and match.
coalesce more than one textile such as pavers and gravel , stepping stones set in bark , or grass edge with brick . Change materials to mark the transition between areas . alternative pavers in a checker board pattern and plant the infinite in between with tough ground cover such ascreeping thyme , Corsican mint , Scots moss , or camomile .
Get creative.
Think outside the corner . Wooden slab can be used in place of concrete stepping stone . teem your own concrete stepping stones with different shaped molds and deck with mosaic tiles or other materials . Sprinkle smooth field glass composition , coloured pebbles , wits , or plastic beads amongst crushed rock to grab the light .
GARDEN PATH IDEAS & INSPIRATION
A brick pathway connects a vegetable andpollinator gardento a cosy eating area and continues to the garden beyond . Photo by : Proven Winners .
This garden pathway leads to a flame Inferno destination where friends and family can enjoy thismoon gardenat night . photograph by : Proven Winners .
A straightforward brick pathway edged by neatly clipped hedge is distinctive of formal English style gardens . Photo : Janon Stock / Shutterstock .
The sound of decomposed granite and pebble quietly crunching underfoot results in a relaxed , casual tone . Arlington Garden , designed by Mayita Dinos . exposure : Rebecca Sweet .
Decorative arbors and lavender hedge create repetition through this bewitching pathway . Photo : Yolanta / Shutterstock .
unlike tract materials and plants make an engaging sketch . Designer : Adriana Berry . photograph : Janet Loughrey .
A spacious pathway through this side railyard was designed to be wide enough to accommodate a wheelbarrow . Designer : Marina Wynton . Photo : Janet Loughrey .
Separate areas in this small urban garden are defined by different pathway materials . Black mondo grass and durable ground covers moderate the hardscape . intriguer : David P. Best and Barbara Hilty . picture : Janet Loughrey .
A checker board design mark the edge of a skunk pathway along a mixed margin . architect : Nancy Cutler . Photo : Janet Loughrey .
At the entrance to this modern-day garden , an angled pathway create more visual interest than a straight path . Designer : Laura Crockett . pic : Janet Loughrey .
A curved pathway lead from the front to side yards lends a sensory faculty of intrigue . Corsican mint establish between the pit exudes a pungent scent when walked on . Designer : Jenn Ferrante . Photo : Janet Loughrey .
Designed for leisurely strolling , a meandering tract leads through a forest garden . Isidor Feinstein Stone pillars produce a grand entrance , echoing the vertical form of the woodland trees . Designer : Meredith Hilderbrand . Photo : Janet Loughrey .
This serene Asian - style garden is complemented by an unnoticeable pathway made of stones and low ground covers that blends with the natural milieu . designer : Roger and Judy McElhaney . Photo : Janet Loughrey .
Low upkeep plant such as lady ’s mantle , lamb ’s ears and ego - sowing poppy soften the pathway edges of this meadow garden . Designers : Jay Withgott and Susan Masta . Photo : Janet Loughrey .
