This garden-themed reclaimed wood walkway is rustic, easy to make, totally customizable and it works awesome! I love all the textures the rustic wood gives with the different plank treatments! You know this is a great idea because it cuts down on grass mowing time – just make sure those slabs are level with the lawn so the mower will run across them! At the time, I chose not to topcoat to further protect the stenciled designs, but I would suggest to do so as future pressure washing removed most of the lettering on these. How to stencil with flawless results

The first group of garden path ideas, are loose materials: Wood chips, gravel or decomposed granite. They are the easiest and least expensive landscaping materials to create garden walkways. Source: Brinitzer | DIY NetworkMany were caked in dirt or paint, but after a good hose down with a pressure washer, they looked great. I then dug out a route for the path, laid some ground cover sheeting to stop any weeds from growing up, and put sharp sand on top.

With any garden path, lighting ideas are a must for after dark. While wired-in lights can work out pricey, there are lots of inexpensive options that are easy to install yourself. Solar-powered lights are super-simple to work in along a path or walkway, simply stake them into the ground or an adjoining flowerbed and they’ll come on automatically as dusk falls. Nestled amongst all the shrubs, ferns, ground covers, flowers, ornamental grasses and other greenery, I’d say it fits like a well designed glove! It’s beautiful!

Wax polymer is a good, yet perhaps less-known choice for larger plots. A combination of decomposed granite and wax, it results in 'a dustless, durable, and aesthetically pleasing pathway that’s especially suitable for use in patios and nonlinear, sloped paths,' says Urdesignmag. I personally love theming the wooden pathway with garden stencils, however you could design your timber walkway any way you wish!

I like to angle some stencil images and even run off the edges of projects when attempting a random stamped look. Permeable surfaces in garden path ideas are important to help manage water and reduce flooding as they allow water to pass through. This idea above combines gravel between stone pieces to improve drainage, along with the addition of channel drains, in an appealing durable mix that also gives character to the path. Using offcuts and pieces that may otherwise be disposed of is economical and environmentally positive. The materials are spread through the landscaping giving a more varied undefined shape to the design, offsetting the planting of resilient and drought tolerant planting choices, such as ornamental grasses, echinacea and achillea. If you need to hold onto something when walking about the garden, then consider hanging a rope through hoops or install a support rail. Think about the material you want to use. Metal can be cold to the touch, especially in winter, whereas rope and wood feel warmer. Metal can be smoother, whereas wood and rope might need protecting and repairing. Here creeping thyme has filled the spaces between flagstones. If your path is fixed with no gaps plant your favourite herbs along the edges for a garden filled with beautiful aromas. Optional: some kind of ground cover path materials such as landscape fabric under mulch, pebbles, pea gravel etc.Bringing out some reclaimed wood planks from my very substantial stash, I dry-fit boards over top of the mess until I came up with an idea I love even more than the last garden walkway! A medium-sized gravel of around 10mm (a little over 3/8in) is considered the best choice. Go for varieties with smooth, rounded shapes where possible, for maximum comfort underfoot. Lay walkway boards on top, having them touch on the inner sides, and slightly spaced out on the outer sides to create a gentle curve. This is a really creative way to add interest and decorative detail to your garden without the hassle of introducing water. Aside from looking totally adorable, I think the best thing about this garden-themed reclaimed wood walkway is the fact that you can so easily customize the size desired to suit either large or small gardens.

One of the quirkier garden path ideas, this path is made from just about everything – is that a kitchen sink I see?Cobbles stones add decorative detail but they won’t overwhelm your outdoor space with too much colour or pizzaz. Use them in a straight line or weave a path around your garden stopping off at focal points along the way. 22. Use Pallet Slats As stated above, the three common types of mulch suitable for garden paths are wood chips, cocoa bean and cypress bark. Since these path materials are lighter than stone, they’re easier to haul and spread. Mulch is also a bit cheaper than gravel or stone pebbles. Remember, though, that organic paths decompose over time, so you’ll have to rejuvenate them every two to five years with new material. Also, don’t use bark, wood chips or mulch for paths that run through areas with poor drainage or that are wet. It’ll lead to a soggy path. In the curving design above by designer Tom Stuart-Smith, a low maintenance Yorkshire Gold Selfbinda path, known as self-binding or self-compacting gravel, was used for a climate-resilient meadow and Mediterranean plant palette. Most of these self-binding gravels tend to be quarried locally, which is another plus for sustainable garden ideas. If you have raised beds or sow straight into the soil you can’t beat wood chip on a weed membrane as a vegetable garden path. All the boards were laid with a 4mm gap between each one. This will allow for a little expansion on the boards as the weather changes. You can use tile spacers or a custom made spacer for this.