Links between the different outdoor spaces, the garden paths give a crazy charm to your new house. Passable, straight, winding, these small paths are much more varied than it seems and deserve real attention.
What are garden paths used for?
Design your garden paths according to your needs
Even before having built your future home, you have to imagine yourself living there. I'garden layout is the key to a successful home that suits you. Park the car, storing firewood, hanging out laundry, all these specific activities require walking in the garden. Frequency of needs, technical and practical constraints will help you choose materials. Then, everything will be a question of taste because the choice is vast in terms of aisles and can take the most classic forms as well as the most contemporary.
For more information, read our article on different stages of landscaping the garden at the time of construction
Plan the driveway of your future home
This is the path that connects the gate to the garage door. Its design is essential since it must support the passage as well as the vehicle parking. Dirt or grass roads are therefore not recommended. Over time, the passage of the wheels does its work. the vegetation disappears, ruts are hollowed out, accentuated by the rains. The ideal: materials that drain the water towards the ground to avoid the accumulation of water on the surroundings. Paving, slabs, asphalt, concrete pouring or gravel laying, the solutions remain numerous and will depend on your aesthetic tastes as well as the appearance of the house and the region.
Imagine the main driveway of your new house
It leads from the gate to the front door and thus offers the first view we have of your house. But beyond aesthetics, it must be practical. Rolling a cadi, a bicycle, a suitcase, are all activities that will take place on this alley. Frequent passages will therefore point towards stable materials and solid.
The secondary paths punctuate the garden
They are often forgotten in the gardens, yet these small crossroads are used to structure the space and contribute to the general atmosphere of your exteriors. Wander between the different flower beds, cross the garden, go to the vegetable patch. These small passages can be seen as places for walks.
Size garden paths
The size of these different passages must be well studied, because a path must above all be functional. But how determine the dimensions of the aisles ? To pass each other without getting in the way or to walk together, a width of 1,20 meters minimum will be necessary. For small, really secondary paths, 60 cm may be sufficient. Along a wall of the house or next to an obstacle, it is better to provide a little space. 1 meter in width minimum, will allow to circulate more easily. Finally, thedriveway which leads to the garage, will be at least 3 meters wide.
What materials for my garden path?
The all-terrain solution gravel
A reassuring and identifiable sound, an inexpensive solution, the gravel is ideal for creating a garden path. Easy to implement, elegant, natural, the gravel has almost only advantages apart from the fact of becoming embedded in the studs of the shoes and not being able to circulate there by bicycle. Available in a wide choice of colors and grain sizes different, the gravels are suitable for all types of driveways, but the walking comfort is still limited. Avoid when you want to walk with heels or barefoot, around the terrace or the swimming pool for example. It is also not the most suitable material for transporting heavy loads, rolling a cadi or a wheelbarrow.
Stability and safety of paved garden paths
This is a simple way to make a driveway, relatively cheap and very aesthetic. Interlocking pad, draining, aged, the cobblestones are multiple and offer varied renderings. Straight pose, arch, cross joints or diagonal pose, pavers know how to give rhythm and style to your gardens. These will generally be reconstituted pavers which have the advantage of being available in a very large choice of colors and sizes. Resistant and non-slip, these are durable solutions suitable for all paths in the garden. They land quickly and relatively easily on a sand bed or on mortar.
Charm of paths made of shavings, mulch or shredded material
Wood chips, pine bark, petals ofslate…., these solutions which are usually placed at the foot of the plants to avoid weeds, can also be used as materials in your paths. The aspects are varied, aesthetic and original and offer a beautiful marriage with the surrounding vegetation. A thickness of about ten centimeters will be necessary for a durable solution that insulates against humidity and mud in the event of heavy rain.
Arrangements that you can even do yourself in a weekend as explained this article.
Concrete or asphalt for ease
Make his concrete driveway has serious advantages. First, it is a garden landscaping durable, which leaves the feet dry and requires very little maintenance. There are also more aesthetic solutions. A stamped concrete driveway thus offers various decorative patterns that can imitate the appearance of pavers, stones, slabs, wood or tiles. On the other hand, this solution does not allow the earth to do its job of rainwater management en Waterproofing certain areas of the garden.
Wooden garden paths: natural charm
Wood is the essential ally of garden design. Natural and warm, it is not limited to the terrace. duckboard, decking boards, boards, sleepers, standing timber ou wooden logs, the choices are varied. And contrary to popular belief, it ages quite well as long as it doesn't sit in stagnant water.
The soft robustness of stone garden paths
La natural stone is very suitable for making walkways. Paves, pebbles, flat stones or domed, the choices are endless. One can use local stones and play with the different formats for unique paths or purchase pre-cut stones for greater ease of installation and more regular appearance.
Determine the style of your garden paths
The straight paths of contemporary gardens
The straight aisles carry on the tradition of French gardens. They are often found in contemporary gardens, or in the small gardens where all the spaces are positioned geometrically along the walls for example.
Small winding paths for living gardens
Even in small spaces, you can prefer the charm of English gardens. The plants, trees and shrubbery are no longer on the periphery and the paths are lost happily in the middle of the vegetation, bypassing the obstacles. Sweet ways to go to your vegetable garden or in its various dependencies.
Japanese steps for the rhythm of lawns
Le not japanese indicates the way to go in the middle of the lawn or in the middle of the gravel. A way to find your child's soul by jumping from stone to stone. it's also a good way to keep feet dry early in the morning or to offer some comfort to those wearing high heels. Raw, natural or synthetic, stepping stones are available in multiple materials. Sleepers of wood, slate, natural stone, concrete or reconstituted stone.
Garden paths are curving this year, as shown in this article by Deavita on the garden trends 2022.
