Decorative Garden Paths and Walkways

When landscaping a yard, walkways often get overlooked. We concern ourselves with pools, patios, and plant selections, but then we neglect to consider how to connect the different spaces in our yard. By ignoring paths, a garden can become disjointed because of the lack of thought put into the transitions and connections.

Garden paths not only mark the safe places in your garden to walk, they give your garden a sense of completeness, dimension, and charm. Garden paths come in many styles and it is up to you to determine not only which style fits your garden best, but which you can commit yourself to creating and maintaining.

Not only do walkways guide people throughout your yard, they can also be used to create a mood or atmosphere. You’ll want to start by determining if you are trying to create a formal or informal feeling. Then you’ll need to make a number of important decisions regarding shape, dimensions and materials, which can range from simple gravel to decorative stamped concrete. Other factors to consider include your budget, the desired traffic flow, the amount of foot traffic your walkway will receive, and safety.

Some take much more time, effort, and expense than others. For example, gravel and mulch paths are inexpensive, but stone and brick are more durable. Stepping stones add charm, while mosaics add elegance and beauty but are incredibly time consuming.