Before implementation, careful planning makes sense so that you are happy with your new garden path for a long time. What purposes should the path serve? Should it just connect two points or should it also be decorative? Which attachment meets your requirements?
How do I create a garden path?
To create a garden path, you should first determine your needs and plan the route, surface and costs. Then obtain materials and create the path. Coverings can be gravel, gravel, wood, bark mulch or natural stones. Width varies depending on usage and environment.
Step by step to the garden path:
- Get suggestions and tips
- Determine needs
- Plan route (route, surface, costs)
- Procure materials
- Create a path
Where can I find good suggestions and examples?
Go to a garden center or look at catalogs from relevant companies, where you will find free tips and examples for a wide variety of garden paths. Gardening magazines are also a treasure trove of ideas and suggestions, but they do cost a bit of money. If you like working on the computer, you can do internet research or a computer program for garden design.
Which surface is suitable for garden paths?
Which surface you choose for your garden path depends on various factors, first of all your taste, but costs also play a role and the expected use of the path. You can easily create paths that are rarely used using gravel or gravel. Even a heavy rain shower won't harm you, the water can seep away without any problem.
A wooden garden path, on the other hand, should be located in a predominantly dry area, as moisture quickly makes it slippery. The situation is similar with a covering of bark mulch; it rots if it is persistently wet or damp and then has to be replaced regularly. Bark mulch is a fairly inexpensive option for this. If there is a green waste recycling plant near you, then ask there.
If you would like to create a particularly decorative and/or individual garden path, then natural stones may be worth considering. A pretty mosaic could also decorate your new garden path and become a real eye-catcher. However, these two variants are not among the cheapest garden paths. However, if you lay it yourself, the costs will be limited. In addition, such a high-quality path is quite durable and does not require constant renewal.
How wide should my path be?
There are also guidelines for the width of a garden path that you can at least use as a guide. A distinction is made between main and secondary routes. Main paths are used a lot and two people should be able to walk comfortably next to each other. On the way to the entrance of an apartment building, you better expect space for three people.
A width of approx. 60 cm is calculated per person. Accordingly, the path to the front door of a single-family home should be around 120 cm wide, plus around 30 cm for carrying a bag. This gives you a total width of 1.5 m.
Side paths can definitely be narrower. If they are used often and may also be driven over with a wheelbarrow, then we recommend fastening them with paving slabs, for example, and a width of approx. 60 to 80 cm. You can certainly lay the panels yourself. For paths that are rarely used, however, a width of 40 cm is sufficient.
What might affect the width of the garden path?
If your planned path leads along hedges or walls, then plan a distance of around 30 cm so that the path is really comfortable to walk on. If plants are growing along the path and may be hanging over the path, it is better to make the path wider.
Do I always have to create a substructure?
A carefully laid out substructure always helps to stabilize your path. It is particularly important if the path is heavily used, such as a driveway to the garage or the walkway to the front door of a practice.
A substructure is also useful where the ground is very uneven and needs to be straightened or if you want to prevent weeds from growing on the new path as best as possible. A special weed control fabric (€19.00 on Amazon) can help you a lot. It is permeable to water and is easy to use.
Tip
Plan your garden path carefully, this will save you from unpleasant surprises afterwards, be it the final price or the appearance of the path.
