Design tips for creating garden paths

A front walkway is all business. It's the primary path, leading visitors from the curb or driveway to the front door. But a path that meanders through the garden is an invitation to explore.

"From a design perspective, at the start of a path, we want to create a focal point, like a personalized piece of art, whether it's a gnome or sculpture," said Steve Kooyenga, senior landscape architect at Chalet in Wilmette, Ill. "I want to go down the path and get a close look at that object or plant."

Designing a path begins with determining whether the garden is formal or informal. A formal-style path typically includes straight lines. Informal paths tend to have soft, curving lines.

"I take cues from the architecture and the material used on the house or found on the property," said landscape designer Kristin Pategas of Hortus Oasis in Winter Park, Fla. "If there's brick on the house or natural stone in the landscape, I may repeat those materials in the path."

Secondary paths — those found in side yards and backyards — can be made from many materials, including mulch, brick pavers, clay pavers, crushed stone, flagstone, bluestone or a mixture of any of them.

If the path leads to a garage, you'll want a material that allows for easy snow removal. In that case, something firm, like brick pavers or flat stones will be better than mulch or gravel.

A common mistake is using small, smooth stones, Kooyenga said. "Rock, river gravel or pea gravel are the worst things you can use. They're all little round stones and when you step onto them you sink in, and it's uncomfortable. We'll use gravel for pathways, but it needs to be crushed and broken into pieces."

Stephanie Cohen, co-author of "Fallscaping: Extending Your Garden Season Into Autumn" (Storey Publishing), gardens in Valley Forge, Pa., where she tends expansive beds and borders of perennials.

"Since I have a stone patio, I use crushed stone in the back for the path," Cohen said. "In the front garden, I use flagstone, which is more formal."

Cohen's 2-acre garden is crisscrossed with gravel paths that lead through several outdoor rooms. "The paths are narrow, and that allows you to slow down and look at the plants," she said.

When using steppingstones, Kooyenga recommends placing them 27 inches apart from the center of each one, whether they are made from concrete or natural stone.

"It doesn't matter how big the stone is, if you place them 27 inches apart from the centers of one to another, that's the normal cadence or step or stride people will take and not have to look down," he said. "If you make them too close or too far apart, it's uncomfortable."

Don't overlook lawn as a path.

"In small, narrow urban yards, homeowners sometimes want grass and garden space, so the lawn becomes the path," Kooyenga said. He often varies the size of an informal path so it widens from 2 feet to 4 feet to make the journey more intriguing.

"Whenever possible, I like to use a curving path because it creates movement and interest," Pategas said. "I like it when the path disappears around the corner so you can't see the surprise ahead — like a specimen plant or a bench."

Getting from point A to point B: "Think about how you'll use the path," Pategas said. "You may need just a narrow footpath, or perhaps it's something wider to get to an entertainment space that's away from the house. A wider path allows two people to walk alongside one another."

Mixing materials: "Using more than one material can be dynamic and exciting," Kooyenga said. "It can indicate a transition in the garden, but it can also be tricky. It can look like you ran out of one material. It has to look designed, but there's no hard and fast rule."