Getting Creative With Landscaping

If you want to create pathways in your back garden, you have a range of landscaping materials to choose from. Two possibilities, gravel and pavers, are described below.

Gravel

You could form your new pathways using compacted gravel. This surface consists of a crushed stone base which is machine compressed to create a hard, firm surface. You can then form a decorative top layer with colourful stones in hues like blue, red, yellow and brown.

Because stones come in diverse shades, you can easily harmonise a gravel pathway with other landscape elements and buildings. Just pull out the colours from the foliage or external walls, for example, and echo those colours within the gravel. You could choose grey tones for a neutral surface or make the pathway more colourful with pinks and blues.

Gravel pathways evoke a classic look that suits cottage gardens, bush environments and classic formal landscapes, to name a few styles. If you edge the trail with bricks or pavers, you'll prevent the gravel from scattering to other areas, which means your garden will look neater.

Pavers 

Alternatively, you could create your paths using pavers in materials such as concrete, clay, brick and natural stone. Concrete can be textured and coloured in any way you can envision, and it can even mimic raw materials like travertine and limestone. Clay and brick create a rustic ambience. To add character to your paving, you could lay repurposed bricks that have been rescued from demolished building sites. Alternatively, you could use sandstone, slate or other natural rock pavers.

As with gravel, you have endless colour choices for a paver pathway, allowing you to coordinate it with the environment. You also need to choose between diverse sizes and shapes, which you can lay to form different patterns. For example, you could create a running bond brickwork pattern or a zigzag herringbone design. To ornament the path further, create a border in a contrasting shape and colour.

Remember that are larger pavers and simpler designs will make installation quicker. When purchasing your pavers from landscape supplies, it's wise to purchase spare ones to replace any that may break in the future. Pavers require a base of concrete or a sub-layer of sand and gravel, which will drain water when it rains. Thus, you'll never have to worry about puddles on your paver pathway. Additionally, you'll enjoy a secure surface on which to push bicycles, wheelbarrows, and other objects. For more information, contact a company that provides landscape supplies.