Ideas for a beautiful design of garden paths and options for arranging with your own hands

The design and layout of garden paths is the final stage of landscaping. After the house is built, outbuildings are placed, a swimming pool or a fountain is made, paths to all these objects must be laid out so as not to step on the ground. The road surface can be made independently - using a plastic stencil, concrete, or you can buy ready-made tiles or stone at a hardware store. The design of the paths should be in harmony with the style of the house.

Appointment

The area around the country house can be turned into a comfortable and well-groomed plot if elegant paths are laid out.It is desirable that all functional areas are interconnected.The paths laid out along the site will make it possible to reach the desired place without getting dirty, without trampling the lawn, without disturbing the aeration of the soil and without damaging the plants. When paving such paths, it is necessary to take into account the terrain, the condition of the soil, the architectural style of the house and the landscape.

Landscaping transforms work areas and site features. Skillfully executed paths are "threads" that connect all these details into a single composition. They give the territory an artistic and stylistic completeness. The choice of the configuration of the paths is carried out at the stage of landscape design.

Laying materials and technology depend on the destination of the roads.

The garden paths are:

Utility. This group includes the driveways leading to the garage or parking lot, the road from the gate to the entrance to the building, as well as the connecting paths connecting the outbuildings to the house.
Decorative. This group includes the paths that decorate the site, as well as the paths leading to the recreation areas, the pedestrian paths.

There can be as many tracks as you want on a site. The main road, the widest, goes from the porch to the door. Other - secondary paths can deviate from it, they are usually smaller than the main one. It is important that the tracks only intersect at one point.

From door to porch

The main path goes from the gate to the porch of the house. The width should be 1.25-2 meters. The central road can be used as an access road. The width of the entrance road depends on the size of the vehicle. Usually this value is 2.45 to 3 meters.

Connect the house and the outbuildings

From the main alley to the various outbuildings, secondary alleys connect.The direction of circulation along these paths is designed so that it is possible to take them from the central building to all the functional areas. The configuration of the secondary connection paths should not be too complicated. Usually the width of these paths is less than the width of the main path, it is 0.55-0.7 meters.

Market

Pedestrian paths are laid out for the pleasure of walking. They range from the central driveway or the house, from the outbuildings to the recreation areas. The width of these tracks is 0.55 ... 1.45 meters. Cycling can be done along such paths, however, in this case they should be smooth and even.

How to choose a seat

When choosing a location for laying a path, its purpose, terrain and other factors are taken into account. The connection paths are not laid out for a year, but for decades. Before drawing the paths around the house, you need to make a sketch on paper. The design will need to consider the location of buildings, terrain, trees growing on the site, shrubs and the path of travel. Where a person's lines of movement are drawn, a place is prepared for future paths.

What you need to pay attention to when choosing a place for arranging the paths:

to the site area - a winding path will visually increase the size of the territory;
growing trees - obstacles will have to be bypassed;
the type of soil - peat bogs are shifted according to the season;
on the architectural style of the house - the landscape should be in harmony with the architecture of the building;
for appointments - narrow paths are laid out for walking;
on the relief - a low place flooded after the rains should be leveled.

Kinds

The garden path consists of:

the top layer is the platform;
the base is a layer of bedding sand or a cushion of buffer gravel and crushed stone.

The type of foundation usually depends on the purpose of the road. For ordinary garden paths, sand is used as bedding material. Entrance roads, along which cars move, are built on a concrete base, reinforced with reinforcement. The main footpaths are made on a layer of sand and gravel.

Superior road surfaces can be made from a variety of materials - hard and soft.

In the design of the garden plot, various types of paving are used.

Solid

The materials from which the solid platform is made:

TREE. Usually larch or birch is used. The wood of these trees has a beautiful texture, color, excellent moisture resistance. The footpaths are made of wood. The wood is cut into boards, squares, rectangles, circles. Such a coating is short-lived, it rots and is affected by insects. It will need to be replaced from time to time.
A rock. It has a long operation period. Suitable for any relief and design. It may be different in structure and color. It has many disadvantages: it is expensive, it weighs heavy, it is slippery in winter and when it rains. Expensive stones are: marble, basalt, granite, porphyry. Cheap: dolomite, sandstone, shale, quartzite. Stones are laid out with patterns, crumbs, slabs. Stone floors can absorb moisture. It is advisable to periodically treat it with water-repellent agents.
Concrete. An inexpensive material with a long service life. Withstands heavy loads. With the help of concrete mortar and molds, a coating of any size and configuration is made. You can add paint, pebbles, pebbles to the concrete mix.Hardened concrete does not absorb moisture and does not crumble.
Clinker bricks. Moisture-proof, durable and frost-resistant material. It can have different colors and textures. Patterns and ornaments are made from bricks of different colors. Arranged with a herringbone, weave, parallel or perpendicular rows.
Plastic. The plastic boards can be of different colors and standard sizes: 30x30 or 50x50 centimeters. They are interconnected with fasteners. Plastic tiles are light, they are laid on a layer of sand. Disadvantages: fragility, deformation under heavy loads.

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Soft, tender

Varieties of soft pavement:

Mass.The floor covering is made of loose materials: sand, gravel, gravel, sawdust. They are scattered on the ground, released from the upper, grassy layer. The coating can be homogeneous or combined. For the arrangement you need a minimum of time and knowledge. It has a number of drawbacks: it is short-lived, needs to be laid out with curbs, it is inconvenient to walk on it in heels.
Herbal. Made from non-trampling grass. The lawn is maintained like an ordinary lawn. It is pleasant to walk on it barefoot.
Gravel. The road surface is gravel. It is a cheap and readily available material. Such a floor covering has its drawbacks: when walking, noise is emitted, it is difficult to remove debris and fallen leaves, you periodically have to add it.

paving slabs

Paving slabs are hard surfaces. It can be ceramic or concrete, cast or pressed. Its fortress is not inferior to natural stone.Has high frost resistance, low moisture absorption. It can last about 50 years.

Variety of styles

The road surface can be made in any style. When designing a territory, you can adhere to one or more style directions. The main thing is to connect the road surface with the architecture of the house and the landscape.

English

The paths, made in English, meander, cross the whole garden, converge at the main entrance. They are made of bricks, gravel, stone, tiles. The paths narrow towards the recreation area and widen towards the house. The road surface is separated from the lawn by curbs. Stones or tiles are arranged next to each other or step by step, where the grass fills in the gaps.

Ordinary

The classical (regular) style is characterized by order, strict symmetry and geometric shapes. It looks a bit theatrical, thanks to statues, fountains, gazebos, bridges, arches. Playgrounds, flower beds, buildings have the correct geometric shape. Straight paths lead to it. Turns and intersections are made at right angles. Shrubs are planted along the roads, from which hedges are formed. The axis of symmetry can be the main road leading to the entrance to the building. Steps are used to go from one level to another.

What is the classic style:

suitable for the design of a central road;
natural stone, concrete, paving slabs are used as paving;
granite cobblestones can be arranged in rows, arches, fan-shaped;
the footpath can be made of clinker bricks;
the edges of the pavement are fixed with a curb;
the paths are made in soothing colors, they use materials of natural shade, a maximum of 2-3 colors can be combined.

Japanese

The main feature of this style is asymmetry. Garden decorations should not be repeated. The paths are winding, the platforms are irregular in shape. Soft materials are used as a coating: sand, marble chips, gravel, gravel. Above the soft ground, flat stones are arranged a few steps away.

You can make a step-by-step path from paving slabs and fill the distance between the slabs with grass or moss.

Country

The main access road is stone. The rest of the garden paths can be paved with irregular tiles, wooden planks or saw cuts, sprinkled with sand. A gravel cover can be used. To give the paths a natural look, they are sprinkled with sawdust, bark and needles. In the country style there are no borders, steps, clear straight lines. The paths meander, seem natural, made of natural materials.

Modern routes

The modern garden is laid out in the Art Nouveau style. The road surface is made of tiles, cobblestones, cobblestones. The tracks can be straight or winding. The center of the composition is the house. Paths and paths in the garden are made from it.The pavement can be made of tightly paved material or individual slabs sprinkled with sand or gravel and separated by grass. The path is designed in the form of a geometric pattern, an ornament, parallel rows, weaving, a fan.

Manufacturing materials

The material from which the road surface is made should be combined with the architectural forms and vegetation of the garden. Paths and roads are lined with natural or artificial materials.

Slab

These are flat and sometimes uneven chipped slabs of natural stone of rectangular, square, trapezoidal, triangular shape.The thickness of the limestone is 1.2 to 5 centimeters. The value is different. The slabs are made of granite, sandstone, slate, quartzite. The material is durable, practical, durable, beautiful, but expensive.

paving slabs

It is made of concrete, terracotta, natural stone. Can withstand heavy loads. Concrete slabs are made by vibrocompression or vibration casting. This material has low water absorption, high strength, good frost resistance, low abrasion, long service life (from 20 years).

Cast tiles have a glossy surface, pressed tiles have a rough surface. Such material is easy to install and repair, it does not melt in the sun, does not crumble from frost and does not emit harmful gases. It is convenient to walk on slabs in heels, barefoot, ride a bicycle, roller skates.

clinker brick

This material is made from clay by firing at high temperatures. It is much stronger than concrete, has a low water absorption rate, resists abrasion and any mechanical stress. Can be used in hostile environments without changing its appearance. In the shape of a rectangle. The surface has a rough texture. Coloring - from light yellow to dark brown.

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decking

It's garden flooring. Flooring helps to equip the territory of a country house. The decking board is made of wood-polymer composite material. The terrace does not deteriorate under the influence of moisture, does not fade in the sun, it is easy to install and repair and has a long service life (at least 50 years). The decking board has a beautiful appearance, it is pleasant to walk on it barefoot.

Concrete

Garden paths can be concrete... Such material is strong, durable and inexpensive.For the manufacture of concrete pavers, they buy cement of the M500 brand. Then a mixture of cement, sand, gravel, water and dye is prepared. Formwork or formwork is poured with concrete mortar. Decorative embossing can be applied to the surface using ready-to-use pads.

Reinforcement helps make the concrete pavement more durable.

Modules

Durable polymer composite modules can be used for garden paths. This material is durable, frost-resistant, not afraid of exposure to sunlight, frost, moisture. It can last more than 20 years. The modules are mounted using latches. They have a ribbed surface that does not slip in winter or after rain.

Plastic

The plastic tiles can be used as a mat on a bench or a swing, or to create a garden path. Perforated tiles can have different colors, but most often green, gray. The size of a plastic tile is 30x30 or 50x50 centimeters. Plastic is not very strong, breaks quickly, becomes slippery after rain, but it is a relatively cheap material.

Gravel and crushed stone

Garden pavement can be gravel or crushed stone. The path can be straight or winding. It is easy to do. The material is inexpensive, practically does not wear out, can play a protective role - it creates noise when walking. True, it is uncomfortable to walk on such a surface in heels.

Rubber

The rubber road surface is made in the form of tiles, rollers, rubber crumbs. The surface of the rubber crawler is soft, comfortable to walk on, and the relief structure reduces slipperiness. Rubber tiles are made from used tires. Rubber does not get wet, does not accumulate moisture, withstands high and low temperatures well.

TREE

The approach to the house, outbuildings, recreation area can be made of wooden boards, beams, sawn timber. The boards are stacked on gravel, sand, foil. Hemp or tree cuttings are partially buried in the ground. The tree is treated with linseed oil or a water-repellent agent to prolong its life.

plastic bottles

Garden paths in the country can be made from plastic bottles. Such material does not absorb moisture, does not rot, does not deteriorate and has a long service life. True, such a coating will not withstand significant loads. Most often, the paths in the garden are made of corks or bottoms of bottles.

river stone

Pebbles from the banks of rivers or seas can be used to pave country roads. This coating is very durable and resistant to external factors. True, under pressure, pebbles can crawl on the site. It is advisable to fence the path with a curb.

broken ceramic tiles

From fragments of tiles of different shapes and colors, you can make a concrete slab measuring 50x50 centimeters. For the manufacture of a square-shaped slab from wooden boards, the tiled battle is laid face down, leaving small gaps between the fragments. Then the mold is poured with concrete and left to dry.

Before laying out a garden path, make several blocks of tiles, then lay them out on a cushion of sand.

Perform planning and marking

Before arranging garden paths, a sketch is made on a sheet of paper, on which the main objects of the site and their approaches are drawn. At the design stage, it is necessary to take into account the terrain and the condition of the soil.The width of the track depends on the purpose and the number of people who will walk on it at the same time. The standard width is 0.50 to 2 meters.

Then, according to the drawn sketch, markings are made on the site. They start it from the central entrance. Small pegs are driven into the ground at a distance of 0.50 to 1 meter from each other. A rope is pulled over the ankles. The width of the track is adjusted using a meter and a rail.

Installation steps

The development of a garden path is done in 3 steps:

A trench is being dug.
The crushed gravel cushion and the layer of sandy bedding are filled.
The pavement is being laid.

Trench

Within the boundaries of the marking, the turf is removed with a shovel, the stones are removed and the roots of the trees are dug out. Then a trench with a depth of 0.4 to 1 meter is removed. The soil at the bottom of the trench is carefully compacted.

Base preparation

The trench is covered with a layer of rubble 10 to 15 centimeters high. If a road is made for the entry of cars, the layer of crushed stone is increased to 20-50 centimeters. Crushed stone is tamped with a vibrating plate and sand is poured over it with a layer of 5-10 centimeters and leveled. For better compaction, the sand layer is sprinkled with water. You can lay geofabric at the bottom of the trench, then pour crushed stone and sand.

At the very end, the excess sand layer is removed with a wooden batten and the level of the slope is set. The path is made at a slight angle and slightly raised so that water does not accumulate there after rain, soil is not applied.

How to lay the finishing material

Finishing phase - paving. The material is chosen depending on the style of the site. Before paving, curbs are installed if necessary.The tile or stone is not laid close, but leaves small gaps (up to 5 millimeters). These seams are covered with fine-grained sand. After laying, the slab or stone is tamped with a vibrating plate with a rubber mat to smooth out any irregularities.

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You can lay the coating on a concrete solution. Crushed stone (30 centimeters) is laid on the bottom of the trench, then a layer of sand (10 centimeters), concrete mortar (12 centimeters) is poured on it, tiles or stone are laid there. When the coating "sticks" to the concrete, the seams are poured with cement mortar.

Subtleties of design and decoration

On the territory near the house, they equip the paths with one, a maximum of 2-3 selected materials. When designing the road surface, they adhere to a certain style. Decorative tiles or stone should be in harmony with the facade of the house. For example, a log building is complemented by sawn timber or natural stone paths.

For the country style, a gravel road is suitable. It can be decorated with flowers or shrubs on the sides. The English-style building is surrounded by brick paths. For a house in the Scandinavian spirit, a paving of cobblestones, cobblestones, pebbles is suitable.

Use a geogrid

They are interconnected plastic cells of different shapes. With their help, paths are laid in the vicinity of the house. Cells can be square, diamond-shaped, honeycomb. The voids are filled with gravel, crushed stone, earth, thereby forming a solid and stable foundation. Geogrid prevents movement of soil layers, erosion of the laid cover.

Before installing the geogrid, dig a trench 30 centimeters deep.Geotextiles are laid at the bottom, then a mesh is installed. The cells are covered with gravel, and that's it - the cover is ready. On top you can pour a layer of sand and lay tiles on it.

The geogrid can be filled up to half with rubble, then soil and lawn grass.

How to use ready-to-use forms

On the site, you can make a track using a ready-made plastic form, which is sold at a hardware store. Such a stencil imitates stones or slabs laid next to each other. It is poured with concrete mortar. A colorant can be added to the concrete to give the stones a natural color.

First, a trench is pulled out, it is tamped, a layer of rubble and sand is poured and abundantly watered. A mold lubricated with machine oil is placed on a flat surface. A mixture of M500 cement, sand, crushed stone, plasticizer, coloring pigment and water is poured into the stencil.

After 6 hours, when the concrete has "set", the formwork can be removed. The solution dries for about 3 days. The day after pouring, the concrete should be moistened and covered with plastic wrap. When laying such a road surface, curbs can be omitted.

Professional tips and tricks

A few tips from the pros:

the improvement of the territory begins with the ceremonial zone;
the best materials should be in front of the porch and up to the gate;
the paths leading to the outbuildings can be made with less expensive materials;
a dirt road can be covered with gravel or sand;
in the classic style, curbs are installed on the sides of the road surface;
secondary paths may be limited by stone or brick;
the road surface can be combined, the materials must match in color and structure (for example, pebbles and boulders, gravel and stones);
when landscaping a site, it is better to use materials that are in the neighborhood;
on the sides of the path you can install backlights, that is, solar-powered lamps.

Original examples and design ideas in the country

The appearance of the suburban area and the impression it makes on the host or guest depend on correctly selected materials and correctly laid paths in the garden. Even expensive material, laid one way or another, can spoil the view of the area.

Before you start organizing leads, you should:

think about where they will lead, paths should not be deleted in the fence;
choose a material that will be in harmony with the facade of the house and the vegetation.

Interesting ideas for creating tracks in the country:

Of a wild stone. Such material is wear-resistant and durable. The road surface is made of irregularly shaped flat stone slabs. They are stacked next to each other, leaving a small gap. Joints can be covered with sand, fine gravel, or plants (moss, grass) can be planted there. It is advisable to plant lush flowers around such a path.
Japanese style. Paths can be laid out with flat stones spaced from each other at a distance of one step. Small pebbles should be poured between them. Along the way, you can set up a low wooden bridge over a stylized stone river crossing the path. On both sides you need to plant trees, tall shrubs, the branches of which will bend over the pedestrian.
Coniferous forest.Pine or spruce cuttings driven into the ground, laid at a distance of a step, can be sprinkled with dry needles. Instead of cutting down trees, you can lay flat stones. On either side of the path, it is necessary to plant ferns, cedar, spruce or pine.
Gravel paths. A small area can be visually enlarged by creating winding paths covered with gravel. Tall trees should be planted on one side of the road, and low flowers on the other. Barely noticeable borders can be installed along the edges of the path. Gravel can be filled into the geogrid. This path will not "go away" after the rains.
Imitation of gravel or gravel. Gray concrete or asphalt pavement can be transformed by dusting with powder that simulates sand, gravel, rubble or stone. You can walk along such a path even in heels, since the particle size is only 1-2 millimeters. The powder is poured in a thin layer on the surface treated with glue, or on concrete that has not yet “set”.
Of cuts. Round cuts of trees are laid on the ground or a layer of rubble and sand. The path can consist of large and small diameter cuts. They are pre-treated with a protective compound. This path is beautiful in the garden, surrounded by tall trees and bushes.
From clinker bricks. A narrow, winding path made of terracotta bricks, passing between shrubs and flower beds, will give the garden a unique look. Such a coating looks appropriate near a brick house.

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