Garden path ideas for stone, gravel, bricks, wood and everything else

Within gardening, a path falls into the category of “hard landscaping” – meaning, literally, that it’s usually made from hard materials, as opposed to the soft surroundings of plants and/or soil. It’s generally important, then, to choose the right material for your path from the off – be it stone, bricks, wood, gravel or anything else – before proceeding to lay it out.

Stone is an abundant and versatile material, often available in local types (just think of Cumbrian slate or that honey-coloured Cotswold stone that dominates central Southern England). It ages well (indeed, this is often part of the appeal) and is sustainable provided you measure your spaces carefully to make sure you don’t have too much waste stone left over. Even then, it’s easy to get rid of and not harmful to the environment, usually. Reclaimed bricks are stone’s close cousin, but offer more opportunity for pattern and also for recycling from or into other projects, which can save costs. Meanwhile, wood is versatile in colour and shade, and can also age nicely, though there’s an ongoing debate about its environmental impact, and it can become slippery. Composite materials that combine wood with recycled plastic do tend to be harder-wearing. Finally, gravel is a no for spaces that regularly play host to small children, who may be tempted eat it! But it’s perfect for paths with a lot of use, as it essentially never wears out or gets damaged other than in extreme circumstances. It can also be very permeable, if you’re not keen on waterlogged paths (choose a chipping or pea gravel, in this case, and avoid geo-textiles underneath).

Once you’ve chosen a material, work out your path’s length and route. Consider where people might take shortcuts and pre-empt them; there’s nothing worse than a path that’s ignored in favour of a bit of of flattened, muddy lawn where people cut corners, for example. Think about where it’s going in a practical sense, too, if you’re laying it out for the first time – do you want a circular path or one that leads to a garden shed, a pond or a deck, say? Which features in the garden is the path going to pass, and in which order? And on that note, if it’s circular, in which direction do you expect people to walk around it?

Finally, when you’ve decided on the various elements of your path, feel free to take liberal inspiration from the very best garden designers and landscape architects in the business, assembled here from the extensive House & Garden archive…