Anyone who has to or wants to create an entire garden from scratch has a lot of work to do and probably major expenses to cover. To save some of the costs, buy cheaply and/or do a lot of the work yourself.
How can I create a garden path inexpensively?
To create a garden path cheaply, choose inexpensive materials such as gravel or bark mulch, take on tasks yourself such as digging the earth and look for inexpensive B-products. Important: Don't skimp on the substructure for paved paths.
Which material for garden paths is particularly cost-effective?
Before you decide on the cheapest materials, you should make sure that the finished path meets your requirements. If a paved path is the optimal solution (for example because it is used very often or should be easy to navigate with a stroller), then choose inexpensive paving slabs or paving stones, even if bark mulch or gravel cost even less.
B-quality goods are usually much cheaper to buy than A-quality goods. Often the defects are so minor that they are hardly noticeable. You may be able to save a lot of money and still get the natural stone you might want for your garden path.
But never do without a solid base for paved paths. You could regret it next winter when the first frost damage appears due to the path freezing up or when parts of the path sink due to prolonged rain.
What work can I do myself?
Even if you are not a particularly skilled gardener, you can at least carry out the excavation work yourself. After all, for a paved path and substructure, the earth has to be dug around 50 to 60 cm deep. However, if you already suffer from back problems, it is better to leave this work to others. No garden path is worth a herniated disc, no matter how beautiful the path is.
You can easily create paths without a substructure yourself, such as a gravel path or a path made of bark mulch. If you want to prevent weeds from growing, place a special weed fleece under the gravel or mulch (€19.00 on Amazon). A thick layer of sand or grit can also help.
Saving tips for a cheap garden path:
- Do as much work yourself as possible
- work carefully, this saves time and money for improvements
- design little-used paths with gravel or bark mulch
- search or ask for cheaper B-stock
Tip
DO NOT skimp on the substructure!