Garden Paths
As the weather turns cooler and the season winds down, take the time to evaluate the landscape with a critical eye and do some planning for next year. Was there a location where you naturally walked from place to place and a path formed unintentionally, called a “path of destination?” Perhaps there is space between or around gardens that a path would add dimension and beauty.
Paths are fundamental to landscape design and can be simple or elegant, inexpensive, or extravagant. Paths provide access, a way to furnish visual and physical movement from one garden to another, or around challenging topography and barriers. They can be points of interest on their own, depending on the materials, the design, and the structure.
As with any element of landscape design, line, color, form, and texture are key elements. Whether simple or complex, all paths require planning. When establishing a path, choose a starting point, and ending point, and the line that connects them. Take into consideration wet areas, slope, and safety. If the slope is steep, consider putting in steps. Keep the grade at less than 5 percent (no more than one foot of rise for every 20 feet of linear length.) If the area is wet, ponder the installation of drainage tile.
Outline the new path with string or paint before beginning so that it doesn’t get out of hand once the project starts. Depending on the path media, it may be necessary to remove sod/soil to install a base material plus the path material. If using a more natural material, it might just be necessary to shape the path and define the edges. Make the path at least 2 feet wide, wider if two or more people are going to be walking together or tools like wheelbarrows are going to be used in the area.
One of the simplest and least expensive paths is a bark mulch path. Mulch is readily available, never needs to be swept, allows water and oxygen to pass through to plant roots, and is easily renewed when it deteriorates over time.
Stone pavers, bricks, flagstone or slate also make fine paths. When using these materials, it is necessary to make a sub base to prevent the stepping stones from heaving during the winter months. Dig out enough material to accommodate the depth of the stones plus a four to eight inch base of crushed stone or sand. Space the stones 24–36 inches apart and make them large enough to accommodate a person’s foot. Fill in the spaces between the stones with pea gravel, sand, or “foot-friendly” plants like moss, creeping thyme, or blue star creeper. Grass can be used as a filler, but it will need to be watered, fed, and mowed, making the maintenance greater than the other options.
Pea gravel can be used as a stand-alone material for a path as well. However, these small stones tend to migrate and invariably get caught up in a lawn mower unless a substantial edging is used to contain them.
Wooden pallets are another path solution, either as DIY or purchased in a roll at a store. For them to last, make sure they are cedar or a rot resistant—but not chemically treated—wood.
Whether elegant or simple, a path is an integral part of the landscape design and can take you many places.
Carol Shirk
Certified Master Gardener