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  2. Home Improvement Ideas
  3. Outdoor Structures
  4. Walkways
  5. Glorious Garden Paths

Glorious Garden Paths

February 19, 2016
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Path
Create a memorable walkway for your yard.
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Go for the Classic Look

Path

Brick is the perfect material for creating a timeless look that matches just about any style.

Here's a hint: Look for old, worn bricks if you're going for a country or cottage look. Newer bricks are often better suited for contemporary or formal landscapes.

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Create Motion

100574890.jpg

Run bricks, pavers, or other materials in a wavy pattern to create interest and give your pathway a sense of movement as you walk through the landscape.

2 of 18

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Go with Gravel

BHG124723.jpg

Gravel can be a great material for a garden path, especially for gardeners who live in warm-weather climates so don't need to worry about shoveling snow. It drains quickly to keep your feet clean and dry. And gravel gives your garden a warm, natural look.

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Match Your Architecture

Patchwork Stone Pathway

A patchwork stone path perfectly complements the precise lines of this Craftsman-style house. Including subtle curves in the path ensures that visitors encounter a few little surprises as they wend their way to the door.

  • Click here for garden projects

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Keep Your Feet Dry

BHG135121.jpg

A path of simple flagstones through the garden not only adds style, but it also keeps your feet dry and reduces soil compaction as you walk through your landscape.

  • Click here for more landscaping ideas

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Be Environmentally Conscious

Front Entry

Traditional sidewalks can create issues with rain runoff -- the moisture can't penetrate the concrete so flows off. Allow water to seep into the ground by leaving space between your pavers for lawn or groundcovers.

6 of 18

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Add Fragrance

Lavender_Purple Lavendar With Yellow Plants Along Paved Walkway

Make your pathway a delight by tucking in a few fragrant plants around it. Be sure to include plants with fragrant foliage (such as lavender), which will release their aroma as you brush by them.

  • Click here for top fragrant plant picks

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Keep It Safe

BHG128577

Well-lit garden paths are safer to walk on. Low-voltage lighting and solar landscape lights add style as well.

  • Click here for more on landscape lighting

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Soften the Edges

BHG135056.jpg

Ground-hugging plants soften the sharp edges of the stone pavers in this garden. Chartreuse-colored thyme between the stones contrasts with the blues of fescue and lavender spilling from the edge of the walkways.

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Keep It Simple

Grassy garden path between stone edging

Who says pathways have to be made from stone, brick, or other hard surfaces? The easiest pathway is a simple swath of grass.

  • Click here for lawn-care tips

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Make It Look Natural

BHG131211_071706

Add a few smooth rocks to a flagstone path to create a more natural look. The change in material also creates visual interest.

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Try a Cover-Up

BHG131214_071706

Large, rectangular pavers are set into river rock, concealing a French drain. (A French drain is a shallow trench that collects surface water and directs it away from an area such as home's foundation. The trench usually has loose materials and/or drainage pipe at the bottom to facilitate water flow.)

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Add Curves

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Curving lines please the eye more than straight lines. They also help an area, such as a narrow side yard, feel larger.

  • Click here for more tips to make your landscape seem more spacious

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Create Illustions

BHG141054_080906

Get a grander look by playing tricks on the eye. For example, widen a path as it rounds a corner to make your yard feel bigger. Or if you have a long, straight path, design it to narrow slightly at the far end.

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Mix Materials

BHG121826.jpg

There's no rule that says your path has to be made from a single material. Give a walkway a sense of age by using old, broken bricks to close gaps between flagstones, for example. Or indicate a transition from one area to another by changing from bricks to pavers.

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Edge It

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When using loose materials, such as gravel or mulch, for your paths, an edging keeps your path from spilling into your beds and borders, lawn, or driveway. Here, stones do the job nicely.

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Save Money

Pathway to gazebo

If you love the look of flagstone but find it's out of your budget, consider cement. Molds are available in a variety of irregular stonelike patterns. Mix in a little concrete dye and you can make it look like natural stone.

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Have Fun

REN606884.jpg

Garden paths don't have to be solid. Try using a series of stepping-stones that run through the lawn for a natural, informal look.

Test Garden Tip: Make mowing easy by sinking the top of your stepping-stones to soil level. That way you eliminate the need for edging.

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    1 of 18 Go for the Classic Look
    2 of 18 Create Motion
    3 of 18 Go with Gravel
    4 of 18 Match Your Architecture
    5 of 18 Keep Your Feet Dry
    6 of 18 Be Environmentally Conscious
    7 of 18 Add Fragrance
    8 of 18 Keep It Safe
    9 of 18 Soften the Edges
    10 of 18 Keep It Simple
    11 of 18 Make It Look Natural
    12 of 18 Try a Cover-Up
    13 of 18 Add Curves
    14 of 18 Create Illustions
    15 of 18 Mix Materials
    16 of 18 Edge It
    17 of 18 Save Money
    18 of 18 Have Fun

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