Planning Your Backyard Pathways
Planning out how your backyard will look is an exciting process. After picking out your features, plants and furniture you want, finally putting it in your backyard can be rewarding. However, if your backyard still looks “unfinished” or is lacking a certain eye-catching element, consider adding a pathway. A path throughout your backyard can greatly enhance it, and there are many options to choose from. Depending on how you want your path to look, you can choose from gravel, stone, brick and various pavers for outdoor areas. With so many options, it can be hard to choose which material is right for your backyard. For help making these decisions, allow Pioneer Landscape Centers to supply you with the appropriate hardstone and landscape materials for your project.
GRAVEL
Creating a path out of gravel is the easiest option, and the least expensive. Gravel works with diverse types of backyards, and is sturdy enough to handle plenty of wear and tear. To make the path look more formal, you can add a stone border or line the edges with bushes or plants. There are a few limitations to gravel pathways, however. For example, you may not want a gravel pathway leading up to a door as you might bring some pebbles into your home that are stuck to the bottom of your shoe. Additionally, if you live in a place where it snows and you need to shovel regularly, a gravel pathway is probably not for you.
The breakdown:
● Best use: Light to moderate foot traffic.
● Maintenance: It will need to be raked and weeded monthly.
● Borders: Necessary for containing the gravel.
● Materials: Gravel is available in many sizes and options. Depending on the existing colors and materials in your yard, you can find something to go with your yard.
STONE
These types of pathways are very decorative and easy to lay down. They fit together like long puzzle pieces, and are rich in both color and texture. A stone path can also provide a timeless look; the path you lay down today will look like it’s been there for years. It is one of the more expensive path materials, but it will last generations if kept up well.
Even though stone is relatively heavy, it is very easy to install. Simply map out your path, lay down the stones and level them. Make sure to tightly fit each piece if you’re placing the stones in a high-use area – this will lessen the chance of someone tripping on the stones. You can add a border of flowers, other types of stones, etc. but it may not be necessary.
The breakdown:
● Best use: Stone is very decorative and perfect for light to moderate foot traffic. If you know that you’ll have bikes, wheelbarrows or lawn mowers, then a stone path might not be for you. In winter, the rough and uneven surface can be hard to shovel snow off of.
● Maintenance: Stone will generally last for years. The only thing you may have to do is lift and reset them if they are knocked out of place.
● Borders: As mentioned before, borders are not necessary for a stone pathway, however, they are a nice decorative element.
● Materials: There are many kinds of stone to use for pavers for outdoor areas. Depending on the colors and design elements in your yard, you can find stones to match.
With almost 50 years of experience creating the perfect outdoor lifestyle experience, Pioneer is your partner in outdoor living. We provide the most diverse selection of landscaping and hardscaping materials to make your backyard look amazing. We provide unparalleled service, pavers for outdoor areas and customer satisfaction is our number one priority.