Using Garden Paving To Enhance Your Landscaping

By Craig Johnson

Your lawn may be the talk of the town. You spend hours outside watering, planting, seeding, fertilizing, and nurturing your plants and flowers. Your landscape may be the picture of perfection. If this is the case, you probably enjoy showing off your lawn to your friends. You may be the one whom everyone calls on to host garden parties because of the beauty of your garden. If any of this the case with you, then you would be the perfect match for a garden path. Garden paths serve multiple purposes, such as keeping feet from trampling a nice lawn or simply keeping your feet dry. Another advantage is that garden paving can be done as you would wish simple or detailed; expensive and elegant or simple and economical.

You can choose from a variety of different material to create your garden path. More permanent materials include: concrete, stone, brick, slate, and flagstone. If you want to save money, you can use a mold to create your own concrete stones.

You will need to consider if this will be a permanent addition to your garden area. If you ever plan on moving it for any reason, this should effect which material is chosen. Flagstone is the hardest of all material to relocate as it comes in extremely heavy slabs.

If you want a semi-permanent material, one that will last but yet can be moved if necessary, stepping stones are probably the best choice for you. These are easy to move and easy to place. You can choose to place the stones close together or space them apart. You can use sand or another material to keep greenery from growing around the stones, or for a more natural cottage path look, you can encourage the growth of little vines and flowers.

If you desire to use a temporary material for a garden path, you could choose wood chips, shredded bark, stone, gravel, or wood blocks. Any of these options will be much cheaper but they will also only last for a few months or possibly a year. Though concrete, stone, and other permanent materials are expensive, they will also last.

Materials such as bark or woods chips will need to be replaced yearly and kept up with to ensure that it looks good. They will decompose after some time. If you choose one of these options, you will also need to purchase and install an edging to keep them in place. Otherwise you may end up with a garden path that has flooded all over your well kept lawn!

Consider a color option for your materials that will compliment your home and lawn style. The materials can also be laid in intricate patterns and designs. Do some research before you begin this project and get some ideas to help you decide what you really want. Make use of gardening books from your local library. Use the Internet for ideas. Get some inspiration by driving through local neighborhoods and seeing what others have implemented.

A garden path is a thing of beauty that you will enjoy over and over again. It can make your garden mean so much more and help you to enjoy it more than you ever have. - 30228

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