Path Width (Advice please)

[OllieMartin]

Hi all,

I'm in the processes of digging up half my lawn with a view to creating 4 raised beds in an allotment-style back garden.

I've planned a path between the 4 beds, but i wondered what width people would advise to leave for the path.

Seems like an obvious questions ("well enough to walk down!"), but I can just imagine picking a width only to have it bug me because it's not quite wide enough the whole time, or I waste space that I could be planting in.

P.S. I'm very slim, so no worries on the wide-load front!

The whole patch is 4m x 5m and has access from 3 of the 4 sides, the 4th side has a large brick wall down it, so im running the path up to that to give maximum access.



^If that helps. a path runs along the North and West sides (grey), a lawn is at the South (green) and a brick wall is on the East (red). The proposed path is in blue

Thanks for any help

[SarzWix]

I would measure the space you need to kneel down, and have them at least that width, so that you don't have to work sideways or have your feet in the bed behind. So that'd be roughly the length from the floor to the top of your knee.

[shirlthegirl43]

If you use a wheelbarrow then make the path the right width to move that along comfortably. Otherwise, the width of you mower might be a good guide.

[janeyo]

I have a foot and a half. Gravelled. Last year I had 2 feet with slabs and it was a bit too big so we re-jigged it. I think a foot would be a bit too small for the barrow.

[marathon]

You could have 1ft but it is a bit easier with 1.5ft for the very reason that sarah said.

[Paul Wagland]

I tend to use 50cm for main paths (wheelbarrow access) and 30cm for paths between the beds themselves... but I do prefer to work bending down rather than kneeling.

[Nicos]

18" to 2ft is what we do - be aware that if you need to turn a barrow round a corner ,then you'll need th 2ft.

remember- if you are of 'average' height, a comfortable stretch for weeding is 2 feet from the edge of the path- any more and you may need to put in the odd small stepping stone.

[teakdesk]

The smallest width you should use is the length of your boots plus a little bit.

I know this from experience because I can walk down the path between my first two raised beds, right up to the fence, but the path is too narrow for me to turn round !!!!

[DaveInBraknell]

I would say 50cm.

It does me good through out my allotment.

Only tight squeeze is if you have netting up on both sides, turning a wheel barrow around on 50cm on a long walk is an issue.

Thx
Dave

[TEB]

Wheelbarrow width minimum for main paths (this is dependant on how tall your raised beds are) and for paths between beds then minimum is comfortable kneeling down width

[Snadger]

My beds are all 4 foot wide. My paths betwen the beds are 2 foot. My main central path is 2 foot 6 inches wide
I have wood chippings on the paths so they are quite comfortable to kneal on. Because my paths between beds are relatively wide it means I can grow stuff close to the edge of the beds without fear that I won't have a wide enough path to walk on when the plants reach maturity (tatties mainly)

[zazen999]

We've got quite wide paths as I need the space to kneel down...but I am fully intending to [and have already started to] plant herbs and fragrant flowers down the sides of the beds that my kneeler will rest on, so that when I am weeding I am weeding in a fragrant atmosphere...and to soften the plot up a bit.

[OllieMartin]

Well so far I'm teetering around the 50-60cm mark. I think I'll wait until I get my boards for the raised beds today, then test them at those two widths using the issues you've come up with:

Test 1: Can I walk comfortably between them and turn around?
Test 2: Can I crouch comfortably between them?
Test 3: Can I kneel conformtably between them?
Test 4: Does my lawn mower fit in between?
Test 5: Will a wheel barrow fit in between and do I need to turn it around or can I reverse?

I think that should solve my questions.

Thanks for the responses

[OllieMartin]

Well I went for 2ft in the end due to Test 3. Being 6'4'' I need quite a bit of space when kneeling.


^ Marked out with 2ft path.

Thank you all

[snakeshack]

my main path down the centre is 3 ft which is the width of the weed control fabric with the beds just on the edge to hold it down the paths at right angles are just ver 1 ft which means i can sit on 1 raised bed behind me and weed the one in front with my feet in the gap,its also the right width for my strimmer.there are also 2 ft paths between plots which means I can get a barrow to both ends of any bed.