Walkways and Paths

There are many reasons to use walkways and paths in your landscape planning, the two most obvious being to provide a means of access from one area to another, and to discourage people from walking over your lawns and planting beds.

But having a path there does not mean people will use it - just consider the number of times you have seen paths worn across grassy areas or even through hedges, where people take a shortcut.  To avoid that happening, you need to examine the area carefully and see what will allow the most direct route between two points, because, whether you put a path there or not, that is the way people will go!  And having right-angled turns will almost guarantee that walkers will cut the corner and wear their own path in the grass.

Path construction

Paths can be constructed from a variety of materials: mulch, gravel, stones, flagstones, concrete, bricks, pavers...the list is almost endless.  The main factors determining the material to be used will be the need to harmonize with the surrounding area, the amount of traffic that it will get, the suitability of the finished surface, and of course, the cost.

In terms of suitability, if the path is to be used by older people, the finish should be smooth enough so that people don't trip on it, but rough enough to allow a firm grip, particularly in wintery weather.  If young children will be using the walkway, it might be better to have a surface that is softer to protect them from injury when they fall - as they undoubtedly will!

Another factor to take into account is the nature of the surrounding area: if it is a modern apartment block, the best treatment will be different to that suitable for a historic or rural setting.

Planning the walkways and paths in the landscape is not as simple as it sounds and is often best discussed with a professional designer before a final decision is made.