Getting ready for spring – planning a simple path
Before you lay a path, draw a plan of your garden and make a list of the places that the path must ‘visit’ such as the compost bin, the washing line, the kiddie’s sand pit. There’s not a lot of point making a lovely path that never gets used, because people veer off it to get to their favourite garden areas. Then use a garden hose to lay out the outline of a curving path. Remember that a path is a journey, not just a tool for getting from A to B so it has to add interest to the garden as well as practicality.
Plan to have your path at least sixteen inches wide for easy access by wheelbarrow, wheelchair and pram. You’re planning once and building once, so consider all eventualities, however unlikely they seem now.
When creating a pathway as part of a landscape design, build the pathway before adding plant materials so that the plants do not get in the way and there's more space to work.
Shredded bark makes a great pathway material, resists weeds and is very inexpensive as far as path materials go. Use at least three or four inches of the bark to provide enough weed protection so that a plastic sheet underneath is not necessary. Remember you’ll be topping this path up every year as it compresses, so your initial cost will need to be considered against the cost of maintenance.
Small stones and gravel are also appropriate for a garden path – as long as you don’t want to travel along it regularly with wheeled vehicles. Break up the soil slightly and press the rocks into the soil.
Granite, slate or flagstones are among the best products to use on pathways. Use slates that are at least an inch thick so they aren't likely to break. Start forming a slate path by excavating about two inches of soil and laying down a base of sand, which will provide a more level path. Then begin fitting stones into the path, starting on the outside edge and working in
To fill in small areas, break the slate pieces over a large rock. When finished, pour sand over the top and sweep it into the cracks between the stones.
Path photograph by byrdiegyrl, used under a creative commons attribution licence
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