I incorporate a variety of walkways and paths into my landscape designs. Some factors to consider when choosing which material to use are budget, tree presence, and frequency of use. Read on to learn about how I decide what type of material to use for a walkway.
Natural Stone Walkway
An important factor that affects what type of material you choose for your walkway is budget. Brick, natural stone, or pavers will be options with higher cost than step stones, gravel, turf, or mulch. Some clients want to tie the path material into the material used on their home or patio, like brick for example. Others like to use natural stone or pavers to accent the colors of their home.
Gravel Walkway
When deciding what material to use for a walkway, consider the tree presence in that area for maintenance purposes. I would avoid a gravel path in an area with a lot of leaf or fruit litter. I’d lean towards a material that allows the tree debris to be easily removed with a blower.
Step Stone
During the design process, I look at the frequency that a walkway will be used when selecting which material to use. For primary walkways, I suggest using a hardscape like natural stone, gravel, or pavers. For secondary paths, I may use step stones placed into mulch or turf. For less used areas, I’d stick with turf or mulch paths. For a cohesive design, I would avoid mixing too many different types of hardscape materials.
Interested in adding a stone walkway to your landscape design? Contact Bright Leaf Landscaping at 919.619.4460 or fill out our online contact form. Design and installation are our expertise, and we are always happy to meet with new clients to discuss potential projects!