Place a garden path. Calculation of the width of roads, paths and paths on your site. Stone and wooden paths

A properly planned network of pedestrian paths in a garden plot is an important part of creating a beautiful and comfortable garden. We walk along them, enjoying the beauty of the garden, we push a wheelbarrow along them or walk with a bucket and shovel at the ready. Paths are main, walking and secondary, working. Depending on their purpose, we will build them from different materials. The dimensions of the garden dictate their width: the main route paths are from 0.8 to 1.5 m, auxiliary paths are from 0.4 to 0.8 m, the optimal width is 0.6 m.

The design of the paths can be built on geometric or free landscape lines; a reasonable game of contrast between the forms of strict geometry and smooth lines is also acceptable, for example, a combination of straight and picturesque lines, diagonals, circles, etc.

Paths and paths divide the area into different zones and at the same time unite the garden into a single space. This is achieved not only by the general design of the paths, but also by the use of carefully selected paving materials. There are several rules for the selection and use of decorative materials that are applicable not only to creating a network of paths in the garden, but also to any other work on the design of our environment.

Rule 1. The paving of paths adjacent to the house must involve the material used in finishing the house itself, be it the facade, basement or porch. That is, the same material should move from the vertical plane of the house wall to the plane of the garden and spread throughout it, which significantly enhances the feeling of the common space of the entire estate. In paving local area this material should not dominate, otherwise the house and garden will visually merge. It usually takes up about a third of the paving area.

Let's look at a fairly common option. The house is built of red brick, has white window frames, concrete blind area and a porch. It would be appropriate to decorate the front area with paving made of concrete paving slabs, combining it with a pattern of clinker bricks. The light gray color of the concrete mutes the brightness of the red brick, making it calmer and more pleasant to perceive, harmonizing with the white color of the window frames, which, in fact, also work to smooth out the color of the walls. Clinker brick in this case, we choose because its strength is close to natural stone, while ordinary brick in paving is fragile and begins to crumble quite quickly, especially if it is laid flat and not placed on its edge. But there can be a great variety of combinations and patterns of clinker and concrete tiles, just try to choose clinker and concrete tiles of more or less the same size. In this case, paving made from mixed materials will be stronger.

Rule2. The farther from the house, the less home decoration elements are used in the path design. Let's say the path near or around the house will be made of concrete paving slabs with the inclusion of clinker or finishing the side line from it. Then we will move to paving with only concrete slabs, perhaps of a different size or shade with occasional clinker inlays, and then, as we move into the forest area, we will finally remove clinker from the paving, reduce the proportion of concrete slabs and introduce gravel backfill. In some areas of the path distant from the house, you can make a gravel backfill with the inclusion of separate concrete slabs of a different tone. As you move deeper into the forest, concrete may completely disappear from the road surface.

However, the materials with which we lay out the paths near the house will appear again when, on a forest path, we come across a bench on a small rest area or a fountain with cool water. We can pave such an area with concrete paving slabs with a clinker pattern, reminiscent of paving a local area, but simpler. Or we can simply make a gravel backfill over the entire site and edge it with one or two rows of clinker. It is also possible here reverse solution: If brick walls houses and fences remain in the distance, then brick can be used as the basis for the paving, and concrete tiles or gravel backfill can be introduced only as a small memory of the path traveled.

Thus, combining carefully selected paving materials is an effective technique that unifies the entire composition of the garden. Moreover, in each zone of the garden, the paving must correspond to the purpose and style of the zone itself, be it a forest gazebo or a utility area.

Secondary or utility paths in the garden can be made of concrete paving slabs measuring 30x30 cm, laid in two rows, or two types of tiles, for example, in the first row of the path two tiles measuring 25x25 cm are laid, and in the second row only one tile measuring 25x50 cm, and these rows alternate. If you need to reduce the width of the secondary path, then 25x25 cm tiles in the first row are laid out side by side, as in the previous version, and in next row the same tile is laid, but in the middle, etc., that is, the tiles are laid according to the principle brickwork, when one upper brick lies on two lower ones. Two latest options Tile laying does not have cross-shaped seams.

It’s worth taking a closer look at this method of paving. Most sites in the Moscow region are located on watered medium and heavy loams. The soil is constantly saturated with water, which does not leave. When frost sets in, the water in the soil freezes and, as you know, expands. The soil expands accordingly. Such soils are called heaving soils; they cause a lot of trouble for builders, landscape designers, and site owners. It is clear that such soils can lift tiles laid in a path, and it is the tiles that have cross-shaped joints that are most easily lifted, and paths with other types of joints are deformed to a lesser extent.

There are a sufficient number of developed types of tile layouts rectangular shape. The most decorative is the so-called Roman masonry, in which tiles of several sizes are used, they are laid out in a free pattern, but without cross-shaped seams. IN Western Europe This type of masonry is extremely popular and is made from rectangular and square stone slabs.

Secondary paths can be laid using the step-by-step path technique, when the slabs are laid with breaks corresponding to the length of the step. The gaps between the slabs are filled with turf or loose decorative materials. It is convenient to walk on such a path, you can transport a wheelbarrow along it, without harming the lawn.

Rule 3. In the design of paths and areas in the garden, you can use no more than three different but compatible materials and no more than two or three of their shades. At the same time, the methods of arranging these materials can be very diverse. Indeed, the monotony and uniformity of paving must be broken by interspersing tiles that are different in tone and texture, or by introducing green islands of unpretentious ground cover plants that are resistant to trampling, which look great on the paving.

From these rules it becomes clear that materials for decorative and functional design sites cannot be chosen randomly.

Another standard option, which requires the selection of completely different materials, is a wooden house, and it can be an old one country house, and a house on a garden plot, and a modern cottage made of laminated or rounded timber. In this case, one of the materials for decorating the site will be wood. These are all kinds of floorings, walkways, boards of various sizes, garden parquet, step-by-step paths from saw cuts of various sections and diameters, tinted timber and just old railway sleepers, recessed into a lawn or gravel backfill and, finally, decorative backfills made of tree bark and wood chips.

Wood as a material for creating paths is still rarely used in our garden design. Usually preference is given to natural stone. However, it is wood that is the main building material, not such a clear leader in garden landscaping. Exit rocks There is no Moscow region in nature, so the excessive use of stone in decorating gardens is not entirely natural.

Stained wood is beautiful, durable, environmentally friendly, pleasant to the touch, quickly gains solar heat, dampens the sounds of footsteps and makes the pedestrian look at his feet and admire the simplicity and naturalness of the material familiar to us from childhood. We all remember the silver-gray picket fence of our grandmother’s fence from bad weather, but it will only stir up long-forgotten memories of low, similar dachas with carved platbands, painted shutters and an octagonal attic window in old dacha settlements left over from a bygone era... And in other countries, progressive designers artificially age, bleach wood, giving it exactly that unique silver-gray shade, using complex tinting compositions, or specially display to the gardens garden furniture without any protective coatings and wait several years for it to acquire exactly that shade...

Long-term use of wooden flooring and walkways under open air possible subject to a number of rules. Firstly, you can purchase products from Western companies that produce wood materials with a ribbed non-slip surface, from which they make decks, patios, walkways and square panels placed in step by step. They are extremely durable, since in the factory conditions antiseptics are injected into this wood under high pressure. However, such wood is very expensive. Among the available species we can name larch. It is durable, but not cheap. Oak is not suitable for such purposes for everyone, since it is also expensive and does not last longer than pine. Most consumers buy pine. With proper wood processing and preventive maintenance, such floorings can withstand 8-10 years without major repairs. For decking, boards with a thickness of 15-30 mm and a width of 200-250 mm are usually used. The entire surface of the wood is treated with an antiseptic, and those parts that will come into contact with the ground are coated with bitumen. Wood flooring and walkways must be maintained with constant ventilation, i.e. lift it off the ground, placing it on its feet. The legs are timber with a cross section of 40x80 mm. Of course, the legs are treated with bitumen. Typically, wooden walkways are two boards connected by transverse slats and placed on legs. A gap of 20-25 mm is left between the boards, which promotes additional ventilation. The surface of the boards must be well treated; the parts of the walkways are connected using galvanized bolts with recessed heads. You can walk on this flooring barefoot without fear of getting hurt. It dries quickly and heats up under the sun, giving pleasant warmth to your feet. Garden elements made of wood require annual treatment with antiseptic agents; if possible, it is advisable to put them indoors for the winter. Such walkways are placed on a gravel backfill. They are often spanned across a dry stream, led from one wooden deck to another, and are widely used in natural or native gardens. Wooden boards and walkways often lead to ponds and even extend out onto the surface of the pond on supports.

The same rules apply to the construction of a path from wood ends. Typically, the beams are cut 15-20 cm long, impregnated with an antiseptic, the part that will be in the ground is treated with bitumen and installed in a road bed on a layer of compacted sand. The gaps between the segments are filled with sand and compacted. Smaller diameter pieces can be driven into large gaps by first sharpening the lower end. You can decorate the gaps with tree bark or wood chips.

When working with wood scraps, you can use the following technique: in a predetermined place, not short scraps are buried, but elements 0.5 m long - such protruding processed logs can serve as seats or a support for a bench on a forest walking route. If you bury a group of logs 1.0-1.5 m high, you can get a decorative wall or garden sculpture, organically inscribed in the plane of the track and, as it were, “growing” out of it.

Despite the fact that decorative wood materials are quite diverse, it is not entirely correct to use only them when decorating a site with wooden buildings, especially if the site is large enough. Wood materials goes well with natural stone, with gravel backfills in warm colors, with artificial tinted concrete and porcelain tiles.

Nina Tomilina,
landscape architect
(Based on materials from the magazine “Flower Bulletin”, No. 3, 2005)

You have beautiful garden or a dacha? Then take a look at these garden paths that can enrich the landscape of any space, giving it zest, the romance of an old park or the mystery of wild nature. Paths on your property can and should evoke emotions, tell stories, and encourage inspiring walks. Therefore, in this article we have collected photos different types garden paths - according to shape, material, size and design. Just scroll down and look at beautiful gardens and save the best ideas for yourself.

Choosing a shape for a garden path

When are you going to do garden path with your own hands, you need to take into account a lot of factors: from the cost and quality of the material to the time required to complete the work. But nothing influences the result more than the design of garden paths - i.e. their shape and material. They are the ones who decide whether the site will ultimately please your eyes, and they are the ones we will consider next.

Clear geometric lines and angles create a contrast with the soft outlines of the plants and give the garden a modern chic. Large stones and tree beams create an organic connection with the earth, and naturally winding paths captivate and spark the imagination. Let's take a look at the most common shapes of garden paths:

Serpentine. The serpentine lines of the paths create a feeling of calm because this form is natural and organic for them. Such paths are especially good in the countryside, among big trees and lush bushes, where they literally pull you along, creating curiosity about what is around the next corner. Choose this form of trail if your garden is large enough and divided into sections that are not intended to be viewed all at once.

3. Labyrinth. What could be more interesting than beautiful garden paths crossing each other with a certain rhythm? This way of design garden plot slows down walking, creating visual barriers, conveniently breaks the landscape into sections and gives it a well-groomed appearance in the spirit of classical gardens. How do you like it?

Below we show another photo of garden paths laid in a zigzag pattern. This time they are made of wood and slightly raised above the ground, like a bridge. This option is not as easy to manufacture as the others, but it perfectly solves the problem of a site located on a slope. And how it looks!

Ideal sizes of paths in the garden or country house

Traditionally, most garden walkways are 1.2m wide, allowing two average adults to walk or stroll through the garden side by side. In order for a group of people to freely walk and talk along the site, the width of the path should reach 1.5-2.4 m. The size of the path that you are going to decorate with a vase or other garden decor should be approximately the same.

At the same time, paths in a dacha or small plot of land can be much narrower - from 60 to 95 cm. However, when designing paths in a dacha, do not forget to take into account that you may also need quite wide paths here - for example, when you transport something on a wheelbarrow or move with garden tools in hand. For such use, the path must not only be spacious, but also more reliable.

Pathway materials and design

Let's look at the top 7 materials from which garden paths are made:

3. Tiles. Tile is much easier to lay garden paths than stone or brick, but can quite successfully imitate their appearance.

And sometimes tiles – it's fun. With a wide selection of paving and cement tiles in stores any fantasies landscape designer can be made a reality!

Gravel. What could be easier than how to make a garden path with your own hands from gravel? It looks good, is comfortable both on flat terrain and on steep slopes, and besides, it crunches pleasantly underfoot. Before purchasing gravel or crushed stone for your walkways, try to choose the perfect color and size of pebbles that will complement your garden. The following garden paths in the photo demonstrate how their color can influence the landscape design.

Brick. This material for paths is especially popular in the western corners of Europe. It does not have the natural charm of a stone, but it is also capable of giving the site a unique spirit of antiquity. When installed correctly (which, by the way, can be quite painstaking), brick garden paths are among the most durable. We also note that red brick perfectly emphasizes greenery, but for an ideal composition it must be combined with white elements of facades, fences or other details of the site.

Garden paths made of combined materials

For the creative landscape design often combined different materials garden paths. The key to creating a successful combination lies in the correct juxtaposition of different shapes, sizes, shades and textures. If any of these material characteristics do not match, the garden will look confusing and incoherent.

Of the most win-win combinations, wood and stone come to mind first. Usually they are chosen to be quite close in color (light stone + light wood, and vice versa), because the sharp contrast between them is not particularly characteristic of nature.

Here the tiles and gravel create a stunning transition from the house to the garden, don't you think?

Very interesting view your garden can be given paths made of stone slabs with grass or moss between them. A 100% surefire way to add antique charm to your property!

In order for a garden path to serve “faithfully” for many years, it must be made “conscientiously”, taking into account many nuances that will allow it to be used for many years, and not start annual gardening work in the spring with the repair of these same paths.

Country or garden paths are not easy decorative element, they also carry a communication load, being responsible for connecting all the elements of a garden or summer cottage to each other.

Convenient and practical garden paths

At the stage of preliminary design of garden paths, it is necessary to draw traffic lines and trace them. It is necessary to take into account the topography of the territory, type of soil, architectural features of buildings, and time of year. It would not be amiss if you provide a version of a ring path - a kind of familiarization and walking route.

Taking into account the features of the terrain, it is possible to plan paths in a more advantageous manner; for example, a straight garden path on straight terrain visually shortens the distance between connected objects, even over large areas. In this case, longer, but winding path will give the area volume and depth of perspective. In addition, obstacles on the intended path, such as trees, especially young ones, should be taken into account. There is little pleasure in walking along a path hunched over or swinging your arms to avoid tree branches.

You are lucky if the soil in the landscaped area is sandy. The situation will become somewhat more complicated with heavy clayey soil or, even worse, peat soil. Soil has the property of movement depending on the season of the year, the amount of precipitation, the load of buildings and movement on it.

It is usually recommended to take into account the architectural features of buildings on the territory only from an aesthetic point of view - beauty is in harmony. To complete the overall composition of the style of a summer cottage or country house, it is necessary that garden paths correspond to this style. The most favorable time The period for paving garden paths is from May to September.

The recommended width of the garden path, along which it is not intended to carry a wheelbarrow or walk in a crowd, is 50 cm (no less!). For a path that will be used for household needs, a width of at least 70 cm is recommended, which is necessary for passage with a standard household or construction wheelbarrow.

To avoid standing puddles after heavy rains or drift of soil from the lawn, garden paths must be raised a few centimeters above the soil of the area. To ensure water drainage, the transverse profile of the path must be convex; for this, a transverse slope is made from the center of the path to its sides at an angle of 2 0 - 3 0 (2-3 cm). The longitudinal slope must be at least 2 0 (2 cm) per linear meter. At high humidity or swampy areas, it is recommended to install drainage communications with a longitudinal slope towards the ditch or lawn. You can make transverse, slightly deepened (10–15 mm) grooves to drain water 20–30 mm wide to the sides of the lawns.

Marking paths on the territory

It is customary to start marking in the direction from the main entrance to the house, and then to all objects throughout the territory. The trajectory is marked with pegs driven into the ground with a distance between them of 2 - 3 m; on turns and bends, the pegs are driven in more often so as not to disturb the smoothness of the lines of the future path. A cord is pulled along the pegs. Now you will need a rail with the desired track width recorded on it. Next, apply the template strip perpendicular to the peg on one side. In accordance with the mark on the rail, the peg is driven into the ground on the other side. Pull the thread over the pegs of the second side - the main garden path is outlined. Now you can mark secondary paths in the garden in the same way with your own hands. The same marking approach is used if necessary in the construction of a new additional path.

Treating the soil for a garden path

Along the marked path, it is necessary to remove the turf, remove stones and tree roots. Then you need to dig a trench (depth: 0.10–0.15 m) in accordance with the markings, carefully compact the soil. After compaction, sand, crushed stone, a mixture of crushed stone and sand, gravel are poured into the trench - depending on the soil, now the trench must be filled with water, then compacted again. After this compaction, you can lay the main layer, which usually consists of brick, cobblestones, and concrete slabs.

Paving material

Any materials are used to construct paths, zealous owners even sifted and sorted ones are used construction garbage or material such as sand, brick (ladle - broken burnt brick), crushed stone, slag, limestone, stone, granite cuttings, concrete slabs (most strong material), empty glass bottles, scrap tiles. But asphalt pavement is not recommended for environmental and hygienic reasons; in addition, the technology for laying it is more complicated.

Useful tips:

The basic rule for laying any material is to wet the trench and the material itself before laying.

To ensure that the edges of the path are even, a limiter (boards, strips of iron or plastic) can be placed in the trench on both sides, and removed after the solution has set.

Non-main curved garden paths can be laid monolithic concrete using formwork along the contour of the future path. The crushed stone layer is 8–12 cm, the concrete layer is 6–8 cm.

On fresh concrete, after partial evaporation of moisture, you can apply an arbitrary design (imitation of tiles or stone, as well as in the form of an original imprint of some interesting object).

If desired, leave concrete surface smooth, do not iron it too much, otherwise it will be slippery when it rains. This rule also applies to paving slabs, marble fragments or slabs, and bottle coating.

Combining materials when laying garden paths

Combined coverings for garden paths give an interesting look to the entire area. Combinatoriality (education various combinations from many elements) can provide combinations of materials. Colored tiles will look beautiful in combination with gravel or small fragmented glass mosaic (from broken glass bottles) or scrap tiles. And flagstone looks good in combination with mosaic or fragmentation ceramic tiles. We must not forget about decorating the garden paths themselves; on their sides you can plant ornamental plants, create interesting flower arrangements in the form of a living border or hedge. You can illuminate the paths with lanterns and use original lighting solutions.

A significant role in combining is assigned to color scheme starting materials, they must be harmoniously combined in color, shape and texture with each other and with other buildings, as well as with existing decorative elements - stone flower beds, lawns, water features, maintaining the overall style.

Paths in the country are transport arteries of the site that connect the house with other objects. They will keep your shoes clean in any weather and give the garden a well-groomed appearance. From a design point of view, they allow you to decorate dacha space no worse than ornamental plants.

Garden path options

You can make paths in your dacha with your own hands from various materials eg wood, tiles. concrete, natural stone, plastic, etc. They all have different period service, ease of use, aesthetic properties and of course cost. Therefore, the basis of choice is the search for a compromise between functionality, design and costs of acquisition and installation.

The most common and most popular option for paving paths in summer cottages is paving slabs.

Fig.1.

It is popular due to the variety of shapes and colors, as well as the ease of paving.

Fig.2.

Fig.3.

Concrete paths have become widespread. They are easy to create and good to use.

Fig.4.

Of course they have a simple appearance. However, they are an excellent base for any other coating. Concrete paths are somewhat similar to the foundation for a building.

Of course, materials of natural origin such as sandstone or pebbles will never go out of fashion. Their cost is quite high, but they allow you to create a unique site design.

Fig.5.

Fig.6.

More economical option imitating natural stone is a technology for creating paths by casting cement mortar into a mold.

Fig.7.

In addition to saving on building materials, this technology allows you to build a path and cast tiles at the same time, which greatly reduces time and simplifies the work.

No less interesting are the paths from natural wood. They can be made from log cuts or in the form of walkways.

Fig.8.

Fig.9.

The disadvantage of such paths is their low durability, due to the susceptibility of the wood to rot.

An alternative can be modern polymer slabs, which are used for organizing eco-parking.

Fig. 10.

A stronger and more durable type is concrete mesh.

Fig. 11.

This solution allows, on the one hand, to get a full-fledged path, and on the other, not to disturb the aesthetics of the lawn. This way you can make a place to park your car.

Choosing the optimal width

An important step in creating country path is the choice of the optimal width. If it is not of sufficient size, it will be inconvenient to move. If it is too wide, then there is likely to be an inappropriate waste of material, and, consequently, financial resources and labor costs for its construction.

The optimal width should be determined based on the characteristics of its operation. So the central paths should be made larger so that two people can diverge freely, and between the beds there should be less.

The central ones should be 70-90 cm wide. This is enough for two adults to pass each other or walk along the path side by side.
Branches to greenhouses or beds should be made 50-70 cm wide. Such paths are enough to comfortably roll a wheelbarrow with fertilizer.
For passages along the beds, 30-50 cm will be enough. This size will ensure ease of caring for plants and will not take up much space.

It should be noted that if the path is made of paving stones, then its width must be tied to the size of the tile, i.e. must fit into an integer. Otherwise the design will suffer.

Do-it-yourself paving of paths

Laying paving slabs

Laying paving slabs begins with marking the path and installing the curb. According to the markings made, excess soil is removed. Grooves are made under the curb and filled with sand.

Apply on top of the sand cement mortar, and a curb is installed on it. At the same time, it is aligned according to pre-made markings. Usually a stretched cord is used for these purposes.

After the curbs are installed, agrofibre is laid on the ground. It will not allow the sand cushion to go into the ground, and at the same time provide drainage.

Fig. 12.

Concrete path technology

Concrete pavement, unlike paving slabs, is easier to manufacture. Its great advantage is the availability and ease of delivery of building materials to the site.

The device begins with marking and removing the fertile layer of soil. In total, it is necessary to remove 15–20 cm of soil.

Fig. 13.

After that, agrofibre is laid on the ground, covered with sand and thoroughly compacted. To achieve a good result, you can spill it with water several times. This procedure will compact the pillow well.

Fig. 14.

Polyethylene is placed on top of the sand cushion to prevent leakage of the solution. And they pour cement mixture, periodically leveling it.

Fig. 15.

Cement mortar is made from 1 part cement, 3-4 parts sand and 0.5-1 part water. You can add crushed stone to it, this will make the pouring more durable and reduce the consumption of the cement component.

Upon completion of the device, the filling must be covered with polyethylene. After 2 days you can walk on it.

We have reviewed possible options paths in the country. All of them will fit perfectly into the landscape of the site and will perfectly perform their main function. Of course, they differ in labor intensity and cost of construction. Coating made of concrete and paving slabs is the simplest and most durable. Therefore, most people choose this type, especially if they plan to do all the work with their own hands.

Very often garden paths on summer cottage appear spontaneously, without any plan. But for those who decided to master new site or transform an old one, you can’t do without knowledge in the field of landscape design. So, why start with tracks and what can they be?

Where to begin?

Having measured all sides of the site using a tape measure or using the diagram obtained in the BTI as a basis, begin to draw a detailed plan on a sheet of graph paper. The most suitable scale for a small garden (this is considered to be a plot of no more than 20 acres in size) is 1:100, that is, 1 cm of paper will be equal to 1 m of land. Take photographs of the most important parts of the site, this will help when developing a plan.

Mark the cardinal directions on the site plan, mark the entrance and entry points, draw on a scale all existing buildings indicating the location of doors and windows, reservoirs, wells, hatches, sewer and other communications, as well as existing trees and hedges, if there are no serious reasons for their removal.

Having organized the garden space using a scale grid, connect it with garden paths functional areas between each other, with the house and other buildings, gates and wickets, providing paved areas - patios, around the pool, in front of the garage, etc.

Regardless of the material from which they are made, garden paths should be such that they can be used in any weather: during prolonged rains, early spring, and icy conditions. The driveway or entrance road is most often straight; walking paths should be located so that they allow views beautiful corners garden The width of the path depends on its purpose: the width of the main paths should be 1.0-1.5 m; auxiliary - 60-80 cm. The minimum width of a path that allows two people walking towards them to pass each other freely is 70 cm. It is unreasonable to save garden space at the expense of the width of garden paths.

Paths are not just strips of land that are convenient to walk on, but also a decorative element that emphasizes the style of the estate or even in some cases dictates it. Consider the direction and location of garden paths at your summer cottage, providing the shortest routes to important objects on the site and harmoniously linking them with walking routes.

What to pave with?

It is very stylish if the material of the house itself is partially used in paving paths around the house. If you have brick house, it will be just great if the path or area near the house combines, for example, brick with concrete tiles or the brick will edge the paving from natural stone. But only clinker bricks can be used; ordinary building bricks will crumble in a couple of years.

The base of the house, lined with stone, suggests the use of stone in covering the adjacent paths. Running from the building into the garden, from one zone to another, the garden path can be transformed: paving stones are replaced by flagstone, and this, in turn, is replaced by a gravel embankment. A soft flow of coatings can be achieved by combining them at transition points, as well as by repeating elements of the previous coating in the next one.

It would be wrong to think that the area with wooden house It is worth paving only with wood. Wood materials combine well with natural stone, gravel, concrete or porcelain tiles. If you have a luxurious stone house in the English spirit, and you would like to design the garden in the same style, make gravel paths. It will be very English!

Concrete, stone, paving stones

Most often, concrete slabs of various shapes and colors are used for paths, which are laid on a sand cushion - this is the most inexpensive way track devices, and it is the most common. The external neutrality of this material allows it to be adapted to any tone and design style of the site, as well as combined with other types of coatings.

Another way to solve a path or site is a concrete or cement monolith. This coating is highly durable, but looks dull. However, a monolithic path or platform can be decorated, for example, interspersed with pebbles, colored glass, and ceramics. It’s quite simple: arrange a sand cushion in the place that you intend to decorate with concrete, make the paving lines you have chosen from strips of plywood and fill them with cement with a layer of 7-10 cm, leaving gaps about 7 cm thick between individual fragments. When the cement sets , press pebbles or other decorations into it. In the spaces between the “slabs” you can plant a suitable ground cover plant.

Good for paving and, of course, much more interesting than a slab made of natural stone no thinner than 5-6 cm - they are also laid on sand without concrete. Thinner stones (layers at least 4 cm thick are suitable for paving paths) need to be concreted.

In addition to flagstone, paving stones are the most famous paving material. Her high price compensated by sophistication and quality. When laying paving stones or stone paving, it is necessary to maintain a slight slope in the transverse profile of the path, which allows for active drainage of water from the surface. A slope of 2-3 cm per linear meter of the width of the path, counting from its longitudinal axis, is ensured by constructing a base of the appropriate shape or during the process of laying paving stones on a dry mixture. Fixation of the road surface is ensured by the outer tiles laid on cement mortar. It is advisable to arrange the edges of the paths flush with the soil level, without fear of possible contamination of the surface of the path with fertile soil - over time, the lawn forms a powerful turf that firmly binds soil particles.

Wooden paths

Now in Russian gardens they have begun to actively use wooden paths and flooring, as non-slip options have become available. The best material for our climate zone is not rotting larch. Wooden decks are easier and faster to build than pavement for the same area. Wood is warm, it is much more pleasant if there is a platform for sun loungers around a pond correct form paved not with tiles, but with wood. And in the forest zone of the garden, it will look much more logical and natural not to have paved paths, but paths made of wooden flooring, placed on bars, and thus raised above the ground. The bars, in turn, are installed on the gravel. The boards in the flooring are installed with a gap of 1-2 cm for ventilation. It is best to use larch.

Once upon a time in Siberia, entire roads were paved with checkers from the ends of its logs. This species is distinguished by its great strength, moisture resistance, and unique wood grain. “Garden parquet” is made from it - square and triangular sections (the basic element has a size of 50x50 cm), assembled from wide slats. And for wooden sidewalks, boards with a “corduroy” profile are used, which prevents slipping in rainy weather. The “garden parquet” should be laid on a small (up to 15 cm) gravel bed.

Wooden paths can be made from round stumps laid vertically, or from wooden rectangular blocks, as well as from cross sections of thick trees 10-12 cm thick. To protect the tree, it is treated with an antiseptic. First, using pegs and rope, the boundaries of the path or site are marked, then a bed of appropriate depth is dug (most often 25-30 cm), the bottom is sprinkled with sand, which is leveled and compacted, gravel is laid on top of it, which is carefully leveled, watered abundantly and compacted well. Then they begin laying round timber, lumps or saw cuts, which are tightly fitted to each other; smaller ones are “squeezed” into the gaps between the large pieces. After this, gravel is poured on top so that all the gaps are filled, and it is compacted well, pouring water on it.

Cobblestone and gravel

The path paved with cobblestones looks good. The foundation for it is a layer of gravel with a layer of sand and clay poured on top of it. Laid out randomly or in a pattern, the cobblestones will become a spectacular decoration of the landscape. The combination of wooden flooring and cobblestones will enhance the Japaneseness of the Japanese garden you create.

Gravel paths are universal in use; they can be installed both at the entrance to the house and in the most remote parts of the site. They are beautiful in their naturalness, inexpensive, and easy to make into any shape. They are made slightly deeper than the soil surface. Under the gravel path, dig a trench 15-20 cm deep and compact its bottom well. To prevent the germination of weeds and the “leakage” of gravel into the ground, geotextiles are laid at the bottom. Gravel paths require curbs, otherwise the loose coating will “scatter” into flower beds and lawns. Gravel is poured thin layers with dense compaction of each layer.

As you move away from the house, for example in the walking part of the garden, use completely different materials. This will emphasize that this is a different zone. Combining paving materials is a very interesting technique; if used skillfully, it will emphasize the style of each zone and at the same time combine the composition of the garden into one whole. Just don’t use more than three paving materials at the same time.

We use lawn grates

Nowadays, paths and playgrounds are often made using lawn gratings and honeycomb panels made of polyethylene high pressure. The lattice installed on the prepared base is covered with fertile soil and sown with grass. The result is a lawn with high mechanical strength (withstands loads of up to 200 t/sq. m), which can serve as a parking lot, driveway or pedestrian path.

The important thing is that, unlike a regular lawn, you can walk on it in early spring and in any weather.

Lawn grates are modular designs, they are equipped with a reliable connection with latches and are easy to install. The necessary bends of the tracks are made using cutting tools. The thickness of the base for the gratings is determined by the nature of the load on the surface. For example, the sand and gravel cushion at the entrance to the garage should be 20-25 cm thick, and at the parking lot - 30 cm.

With the help of lattice cells, you can not only grow a lawn that is resistant to mechanical stress, on which you can walk at any time of the year in any weather. If you fill the cells with fine gravel, you will get a gravel pad, driveway or parking lot.

If there is a forest area in the garden, then it will look logical and natural not to have paved paths, but to have wooden flooring, as well as paths made of gravel or wood chips.

Let's do it once and for all

In England it is generally accepted that the cost of a garden should be about a third of the cost of a house. We are not yet very willing to invest money in the garden, although only the merging of the house with the surrounding space will give a feeling of comfort and peace and emphasize the personality of the owner. It is better to immediately make some things in the garden of high quality and expensive - these include paths, which should be done for a long time, preferably once and for all.

To become the owner of a beautiful and high-quality path on your summer cottage, two main conditions must be met.

The first thing is to do everything correctly preparatory work to create a bed under the path and carefully lay it. The second is to use high-quality paving material. Any path must have longitudinal (3-6 cm per 1 m) and transverse (2 cm per 1 m) slopes so that water does not stand on it. Paving in the garden should be slightly higher than the lawn (1-1.5 cm).

You should not “cut” the lawn with a wide path; here, a step-by-step path made of individual tiles laid directly on the lawn would be much more appropriate. The calculation is simple: you need to measure 60-63 cm from the middle of the slab (this is the average step length), lay the next slab, and you're done!

If on a site developed in landscape style, there are a lot of intersections, then most likely you made a mistake with the layout. Perfect option for a small garden (up to 15-20 acres) - a closed circular walking path with branches. When planning paths on the site and choosing their directions, it is necessary to try to find the right solution, which will organize a pleasant walk through the garden, the lawn will be less fragmented, and the distances between individual buildings and areas of the site will be as short as possible.

It is best to first make a plan of the site, mark paths on it and try to “walk” along it. If you find drawing up a plan too difficult, you can mark paths on the ground using tape and pegs and walk along them virtually. Remember that paths should not only be functional, but also have beautiful boundary lines. Fix everything you don't like. Walk around again. Keep at it and complete the process only when you find the perfect solution.

A lot of paths are required on the site - this is necessary to facilitate the care of the garden, the creation of recreation areas, the possibility of an evening walk, and easy access to all objects on the site in any season of the year. As a rule, the area for paving and paths ranges from 5 to 20% of the site area. When there are not enough paths on the site, this is inconvenient, but you should not go to the other extreme, when the area occupied by paving is unreasonably large - the garden ceases to be a garden.