paths...

[Nicos]

So what do people cover their walkways with and why...?

[scooby]

hi nicos

mine are all grass kept nice and short. i just think they look better.

mark

[sewer rat]

My existing garden paths are made up of 20mm washed gravel kept in place with gravel boards and laid on top of either Terram or black plastic spiked with a garden fork. The reason for 20mm washed gravel - get it free from work on the q/t
Am currently trying to decide on what to put round my new beds / veg garden - either the same gravel (though it's getting difficult to get just now), or chipped bark - we have a bark processing plant nearby, so can pick up a bulk load quite cheaply.

[poultrychat]

Mine are grass as well and seem to stand up pretty well to the wear and tear so I am hoping to keep it 'cos it's free

[WiZeR]

I haven't decided yet, lawn would be lovely but would need regular cutting and something to cut it with. Gravel would be nice but expensive and a pian to get rid of in the future. Bark is less expensive and will probably be what i'll use. For now I am using old carpet.

[andrewo]

I use pea gravel on my walkways because it is a front garden and helps with security (you can hear them). Also, it is free draining and gets the water down to the plants/trees placed on the paths. I also like how the colour changes with the rain.

[Jaxom]

I have used 20mm Cotswold stone chipping for all my side paths. The chippings are on top of weed suppressing black membrane. The edges are sorted out with half logs in strips hammered into the ground. The rain does bring the stone up a treat.
Jax

[pigletwillie]

Mmmm Sewer Rat,

my paths are in the main chipped bark but around the raised beds and in the polytunnel ,its 10mm washed granite which I get from work on the qt. I hope your not my gaffer.

[sewer rat]

Pigletwillie
Would like granite chips in my garden on the paths, but up here and for my job, the standard is just 20mm washed gravel - if it's on the QT you just gotta get what you can, when you can.

[sewer rat]

I think I'm gonna go with chipped bark round my beds, but concerned about what this gets like during wet weather - does it get mushy and messy - I guess what I need to know is will my OH complain if I forget to take my boots off when nipping into kitchen for quick cuppa - or quick anything for that matter

[Acorn]

At the moment I've got grass on the path that cuts the plot in half and it looks quite good.... In between the beds I've got wood chips that I got from my neighbour. He knocked down a couple of big trees from his garden last summer so I got them for free. Under the chips I put black platic and pierced it with a fork, same as SR.

[Alice]

I use chipped bark on some paths and, no, it doesn't get messy. What it does get is chucked all over the place by the black birds who love to howk about in it. I use gravel on other paths as its a good "watch dog".

[sewer rat]

Thanks for that Alice - am prepared to put up with the antics of the birds that visit my garden, with the possible exception of the Jackdaws and Wood Pigeons. Definitely going for bark chippings.

[JennieAtkinson]

SR - I'm experimenting with bark in one of my shrub beds at the moment. I was worried it would blow away! I've gone for gravel (about 18mm chippings I think) on the small number of paths I have in the vegetable plot. But they seem to get so messy with bits of grass, debris and unfortunately alot of wind blown silage from the sheep feeding next door.

Thanks for the note about birds Alice. I found a whole load wood chips on the grass this morning - I gave the poor dog a telling off as I was sure it was her, so probably was the blackbirds in the garden.

[plot 11 pam]

Iv'e got old carpet and chipped bark on my paths, it rots down over time and you have to renew it but if you contact tree surgery people the can shred and deliver usually. The weed and grass also pokes up around the edges so i hand pull or strim it off.