Garden Variety: Creating a garden path

Landscape design tends to focus on plant selection, but the hardscape — the built environment in and around the plants — is what allows people to enjoy a garden beyond a faraway view.

Patios, retaining walls and even fences and trellises create dimension and change the way we view plants. Perhaps the most important and most often overlooked is the way visitors get to and through the garden: the garden path.

Garden paths should always be functional, leading a visitor into, through, and/or alongside the garden for access to another space. Shape, width and material used are completely dependent on the site and situation, but keep the following in mind:

Garden paths should always be functional.

• Meandering paths lead visitors into the garden and make them curious about what is around the corner. Use a curving path to create different views at each turn and add interest.

• A straight path is best when needing to get quickly from point A to point B, such as from a door to a driveway. Straight paths can also make a distance seem farther.

• Hard surfaces provide better footing and keep shoes and feet out of the mud.

• Planted paths, aggregate paths or paths made from material such as gravel or mulch appear softer and are more inviting than solid surfaces such as concrete or asphalt.

• Sidewalks are often 48 to 60 inches wide to allow people to pass comfortably. In a home landscape, 24 to 36 inches is likely adequate and in better scale with the garden. A narrower path may even be acceptable to access certain features of the garden or functional areas, such as a compost bin or water source.

Selecting the material for the path is the fun part. For the greatest accessibility (without using concrete or asphalt), use pavers or flagstone. These stones can be wet-set or dry-set. Wet-set refers to the process of setting the pavers or stones into mortar that dries and hardens to a solid surface. In dry-set paths, the gaps between stones are filled with sand or gravel. Both types of paths require some excavation to begin construction and should be built on a level packed surface of appropriate material. Wet-set pavers or flagstone especially will likely have best results with a professional installation.

For simpler and less-expensive options, try setting flagstones, pavers or stepping stones about a step apart. Fill the space between with turf, creeping thyme or other groundcover. Gravel and mulch also work to fill the space, but put down landscape fabric (available at most garden centers) to keep the gravel or mulch from sinking into the soil. Edging may also be desired to keep gravel in the path and out of the landscape.

Gravel and mulch are also great options on their own. Again, use landscape fabric to keep from losing the material into the soil below over time. Mulch will need to be replenished regularly as it breaks down.

— Jennifer Smith is a former horticulture extension agent for K-State Research and Extension and horticulturist for Lawrence Parks and Recreation. She is the host of “The Garden Show” and has been a gardener since childhood. Send your gardening questions and feedback to features@ljworld.com.