A garden path should not only be decorative but above all safe to walk on. You can achieve this with the help of a good fastening and a suitable covering. Both are particularly important for the so-called main routes, which are used frequently.
Solid garden path coverings need a sufficiently solid base
Which topping should I use?
Above all, your own preferences and your wallet decide which topping you use. If you want to invest your cheaply, then expensive materials such as natural stones are unlikely to be in your budget. But let your imagination run wild or look in a garden magazine, there you will find many ideas and suggestions for paths in every price range.
Narrow, curved paths can be created easily and inexpensively with gravel or bark mulch. Broader straight paths, on the other hand, are often laid with paving stones or concrete paving slabs. Wooden paths are slightly slippery when wet, so they are mainly suitable for dry corners in the garden.
Various attachment options for garden paths:
- Concrete paving slabs
- cobblestones
- natural stones
- wood
- gravel
- bark mulch
How do I lay out a base course?
A paved garden path needs a good substructure in order to be usable for a long time. You shouldn't just lay a path made of wood just like that. Only a gravel path or a path made of bark mulch does not necessarily need a substructure, but it can certainly benefit from it.
A solid base layer consists of a so-called frost protection layer about 20 cm thick and a leveling layer. In order to be able to create these, you must first excavate the ground for your path. The frost protection layer consists of relatively coarse material, on top of which grit (€46.95) or sand is applied as a leveling layer.
If the planned path serves as a garage driveway, for example, then a thicker base layer is required than for a pure sidewalk. This is due to the relatively high weight of the car. A thin base course would yield more and more over time.
tips
How you pave your garden path depends primarily on your wishes, the use and your wallet, the possibilities are almost unlimited.