Skip to content

Top Navigation

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Home
  • Garden
  • Holidays
  • Videos
  • current issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Midwest Living

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 14 Fresh Places to Eat, Drink, Play & Stay This Summer

      14 Fresh Places to Eat, Drink, Play & Stay This Summer

      Hot off the minds of Midwest travel writers: a fresh look at where to eat, drink, play and stay around the region. Read More
    • Out Now: Best of the Midwest 2022

      Out Now: Best of the Midwest 2022

      Find your summer adventure with our new bookazine, available now in the magazine store! Read More
    • This Family's Garden Farm is a Nature-Filled Paradise

      This Family's Garden Farm is a Nature-Filled Paradise

      On land passed down through generations, a Wisconsin family experiences—and shares—the glory of gardening. Read More
  • Travel

    Travel

    See All Travel
    Urban-Pop Art, a New Boutique Hotel and More—Here's What to See and Do in Fort Wayne Right Now

    Urban-Pop Art, a New Boutique Hotel and More—Here's What to See and Do in Fort Wayne Right Now

    On a trip to Fort Wayne, Indiana, catch a colorful wave of fresh development, plus a new hotel from the cofounder of Vera Bradley.
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Family Travel
    • Around the Region
    • Beyond the Region
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • Nebraska
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • South Dakota
    • Wisconsin
    • Free Travel Info
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food
    Mango Toast with Prosciutto

    Mango Toast with Prosciutto

    • Comfort Foods
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Quick & Easy
    • Chicken
    • Soups & Stews
    • Midwest Favorites
    • Fruits & Vegetables
    • Fish
    • Grilling
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    5 Clever Tips for Repurposing a Potting Bench as a Bar Cart 

    5 Clever Tips for Repurposing a Potting Bench as a Bar Cart 

    With smart accessorizing, a potting bench becomes a celebration station for summer soirees.
    • Quick Decorating
    • Featured Homes
    • Organizing & Storage
    • Outdoor Living
    • Seasonal Decorating
    • Room Decorating
  • Garden

    Garden

    See All Garden
    Expert Tips for Growing a Window Box Garden

    Expert Tips for Growing a Window Box Garden

    Casey Lawrence’s lush window boxes were a revelation to her online followers. Use her tips to grow your own.
    • Container Gardens
    • Flowers
    • Featured Gardens
    • Midwest Gardening Calendar
    • Garden Ideas & Inspiration
  • Holidays

    Holidays

    See All Holidays
    Festive 4th of July Dessert Recipes

    Festive 4th of July Dessert Recipes

    Get out your red, white and blue for these patriotic dessert recipes.
    • Easter
    • July 4th
    • Thanksgiving
    • Halloween
    • Christmas
    • Valentine's Day
  • Videos

    Videos

    See All Videos
    These DIY Orange Beeswax Candles Will Make Your Home Smell Amazing

    These DIY Orange Beeswax Candles Will Make Your Home Smell Amazing

    Don't toss those orange peels! Instead, use them as vessels for our super-simple and fragrant candles.
    • Brighten Your Front Door with This Colorful Easter Egg Wreath
    • These DIY Orange Beeswax Candles Will Make Your Home Smell Amazing
    • Ring in the New Year with This Glam Star Garland
    • How to Make a Modern Fruit Cake Box
    • An Eye-Catching Oval Treat Box You Can Make
    • Make a Colorful Paper Raffia Wreath to Welcome Fall
    • How to Make a Dried Floral Arrangement
    • How to Make an Easy Pina Colada
    • How to Make an Amazing Pavlova
    • How to Make Pumpkin-Spice Icebox Cake
    • How to Make an All-Butter Pie Crust
  • current issue

    current issue

    See All current issue
    Midwest Living's Best of the Midwest Winners 2022

    Midwest Living's Best of the Midwest Winners 2022

    • March/April 2022 Issue
    • January/February 2022 Issue
    • November/December 2021 Issue
    • September/October 2021 Issue
    • July/August 2021 Issue
    • May/June 2021 Issue
    • Summer 2022 Issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Midwest Living
  2. Garden
  3. Garden Ideas & Inspiration
  4. 9 Ways to Create a Garden Path

9 Ways to Create a Garden Path

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Finding the right path
Smart garden path materials balance aesthetics and functionality. See the pros and cons of using materials such as gravel, turf, dry-laid pavers, mortared paths, wood mulch and stones.
Start Slideshow

1 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Finding the right path

Finding the right path

A garden path can issue an enticing invitation to backyard visitors, or just provide a convenient route for plant maintenance. Whatever its use, a well-designed and well-built path will enhance the livability and functionality of any home garden, says Steve Rodie, landscape horticulture specialist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.The following slides will help you decide what path materials fit your budget and your gardening needs.

1 of 9

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Gravel: budget-friendly and functional

Create paths

Pros Inexpensive; good drainage; low-maintenance; won't disrupt plants' roots; can stand up to fairly heavy traffic.

Cons Inorganic, so it doesn't improve soil; without the right border, gravel pieces can spill out into garden areas. May need to be weeded occasionally.

Tip Use small, angular stones instead of rounded pebbles. They lock together for a more stable walking surface.

2 of 9

3 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Turf: comfortable but high-maintenance

Turf: comfortable but high-maintenance

Pros Looks great when tidy; the most comfortable walking surface.

Cons Needs constant maintenance and ample sun and space. With poor upkeep or heavy use, can easily be worn into mud.

Tip Make sure it's wide enough for your mower.

3 of 9

Advertisement

4 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Dry-laid pavers: good for heavy use

Dry-laid pavers: good for heavy use

Pros Looks formal or natural; a good choice for heavy use.

Cons More expensive than some options; placing pavers on bare soil can cause problems such as poor drainage.

Tip Construct a solid, well-drained, level base from sand or gravel. Surround your pavers with a formal edge to keep them from shifting.

4 of 9

5 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Mortared paths: clean and formal

Mortared paths: clean and formal

Pros Provides the cleanest, most formal look. If designed correctly, requires minimal maintenance.

Cons The most expensive path. Midwest weather extremes can make bricks/stones crack and split. Not a DIY project for most people.

Tip Consider materials that visually tie into existing stone or brick in your garden.

5 of 9

6 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Wood mulch: easy and natural

Wood mulch: easy and natural

Pros Easy and inexpensive to lay down; looks natural; replenishes the soil. Three solid inches of mulch blocks most weeds.

Cons Requires yearly replenishing. Wood chips get kicked off the path easily, and the path wears down quickly. Best for low-traffic areas.

Tip Instead of bark or wood chips, use shredded mulch, which stays in place better.

6 of 9

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Stones and mulch: a good blend

Stones and mulch: a good blend

Pros A good solution for a path that gets moderate use.

Cons Mulch needs to be replenished each year; pavers may shift over time.

Tip Use stones that are large, and set them at a distance that is comfortable to walk along.

7 of 9

8 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

More ideas for your garden path

More ideas for your garden path

Soften stones' edges Ground-hugging plants such as thyme and fescue add visual interest between stones. Lavender next to the path also softens the edge of the walkway.

Curve it Curving paths are more pleasing to the eye more than straight ones. They can also help narrow areas feel larger.

8 of 9

9 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Personalize your path

Personalize your path

Add personal touches Handmade stepping-stones add beauty and color to your garden path. Mosaic patterns may be more slippery than rough stone, though, especially when wet.

9 of 9

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 9 Finding the right path
    2 of 9 Gravel: budget-friendly and functional
    3 of 9 Turf: comfortable but high-maintenance
    4 of 9 Dry-laid pavers: good for heavy use
    5 of 9 Mortared paths: clean and formal
    6 of 9 Wood mulch: easy and natural
    7 of 9 Stones and mulch: a good blend
    8 of 9 More ideas for your garden path
    9 of 9 Personalize your path

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Midwest Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Contact Us
    • Help
    • Free Newsletters this link opens in a new tab
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Renew this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Affiliate Program
    • Free Travel Info this link opens in a new tab
    • Special Promotions this link opens in a new tab
    • Sweepstakes this link opens in a new tab
    • Video
    • Home Advisor this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithMidwest Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Midwest Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.midwestliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    9 Ways to Create a Garden Path
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.