If you want to make your garden more well-groomed, you can add a garden path to it. It will carry not only a practical function, but will also have an aesthetic value. You will be able to form a common ensemble and combine all the buildings on the site. The territory can be zoned using a path, highlighting functional areas, including: outbuildings, flower beds, a recreation area and a garden.
If the garden path is properly laid, then you can correct the shortcomings and inaccuracies of landscape design. When planning, you should consider several factors. Firstly, the base material must easily withstand seasonal temperature fluctuations. Secondly, the track should be easy to maintain. Thirdly, it must be resistant to corrosion, rot, mold and mildew.
It is extremely important to plan the load in advance if the track will be crossed by cars. It is necessary to make this part of the suburban exterior space with a certain slope so that rainwater does not accumulate on the canvas. If you have to work in a small area, then the path should not be made rectangular,because twists and turns will add space and depth.
Material selection
Before you make a garden path, you must choose the material. Among the most common options, natural stone should be highlighted. He looks status, is noble, but very expensive. In return, you get an almost eternal coating, which is ensured by the high strength of the material. You can also use artificial stone, which conveys the aesthetics, texture and beauty of natural, but is cheaper and easier to install.
Before starting work, you should consider a photo of garden paths. With your own hands, in this case, you can build one of them, choosing a design to your liking. Among the images presented, you can see brick paths. It will be based on a special variety of it, which is also called clinker brick. You can also use ordinary silicate / red brick. Do not use white, as it quickly disintegrates in the ground.
The most common solution is paving slabs. It is popular for the reason that it is characterized by high strength, frost resistance and durability. Products can have a different texture, shape and shade, which allows the master to show imagination. Laying can be done with a mosaic, forming drawings and patterns.
Production of garden paths is often carried out also by the bulk method. The following materials are used for this:
- rubble;
- pebbles;
- gravel;
- sand;
- wood chips.
To do this, you should use a large amount of consumables, because over time it will shrink. This option is hardly suitable for the central alley. But near the reservoir, the beds and between the flower beds, a soft path will look perfect. She fits in well with the wild.
Wood is one of the available solutions, but it is short-lived. Usually larch is used for these purposes, which only becomes stronger from moisture. It retains the integrity of the structure longer than other trees. Canvases can be made from logs or boards, but the covering from saw cuts looks especially cozy and picturesque.
Concrete imitation is an excellent alternative. After reviewing the photo of garden paths, you can find concrete fill options. They are represented by ready-made plates. Garden parquet is also on sale, which is represented by a plastic variety or decking.
This material provides for the presence of a substrate on which wooden plates are attached. Externally, the coating looks wooden. It keeps its original shape, does not swell, does not curl and does not accumulate moisture, showing resistance to the external environment. Caring for garden parquet is easy, all you need to do is water it with a hose.
Creating a concrete pavement
When making garden paths with your own hands, at the first stage you will have to choose the technology for the work. If you do not want to be smart, then you should choose a monolithic concrete coating, which is highly durable. You can ennoble the plates by decorating them with colored mosaics, ceramics or ceramic tiles.
At the first stage, it is necessary to determine the length and width of the path, going deep into the soil by 10 cm. The bottom is covered with sand, the layer thickness will be 6 cm. The substrate is compacted and watered. Along the length of the pit, it is necessary to install frames that are knocked down from plywood or wood. A distance of 7 cm must be maintained between them.
The track width will determine the border width. The most convenient and optimal frame size will be 60 x 60 cm. At the next stage, you can start concreting using mortar. As soon as it dries a little, decorative elements are laid on top, for which you can use an ordinary shell rock. Once the path is completely dry, which will be after about 3 days, the ground between the slabs can be planted with low maintenance lawn plants.
Using boards
Before you start making a garden path with your own hands, you must choose the material. They can be wood. Such a coating rises slightly above the ground and is strengthened on strong bars, which are pre-treated with a composition from decay.
The bars are installed on a layer of gravel, the thickness of which is 6 cm. The gravel is pre-leveled along the length of the bed. The flooring should not be done end-to-end - a distance of 2 cm must be maintained between the boards, which will ensure their ventilation. Track thanksthis one is ready to last longer.
Using wooden chocks
Garden path can be made of wooden chocks, which are cross sections of thick trees. They are pre-treated with an antiseptic, which will prevent rotting. A trench is being prepared along the pre-planned bed of the track. It must be deepened 6 cm more than the height of the wooden chocks.
The bed is covered with 3 cm gravel, the next layer will be sand of the same thickness. The preparation is compacted and watered abundantly. Chocks are installed as tightly as possible in the bed. After that, the gaps are covered with gravel, which is pre-mixed with sand. The surface is again plentifully watered. On this we can assume that the garden path is ready. It is important to align the chocks in height using a sledgehammer.
Covering based on curly shapes
Using commercially available polystyrene molds, you can cover your garden. Four identical forms should be purchased, the cost of one of which will be from 900 to 1,200 rubles. At the first stage, it is necessary to determine the width and location of the track, using pegs and a rope. Such forms are easily adjacent to each other, and their size is usually 60 x 60 cm, which is enough for a narrow path. If the width of the garden path is greater and will be 1.2 m, then the two forms must be folded across in a bed.
Now a shovel is used, with which you need to dig a trench, deepening it by 10see The earth compacts well, for which it is better to use a vibrator to compact the soil. You can also do it manually, but it will take more effort. A layer of crushed stone and pebbles is poured into the trench, the thickness should be 4 cm. A 6-cm layer of river sand will be located on top. Before laying the form, the sand is well watered from a hose, at the end of which it is necessary to put on a sprayer.
Forms are lubricated with machine oil, in its absence, you can use ordinary vegetable oil. The formwork is installed on wet sand, then you can start preparing the solution. It will consist of three parts of sand, part of cement and 4 parts of crushed stone. For the foundation, it is necessary to add a binding mixture by adding water. The solution should acquire the consistency of thick sour cream.
In order for the track to shine with colors, pigment is added to the ingredients. At the next stage, you can start filling the forms to the brim, it is important to exclude the formation of air bubbles. Excess solution is removed, during which a plastic rail will help. For these purposes, you can also make iron.
After 40 minutes, the solution will set, which will allow you to carefully remove the molds and use them for the second pouring procedure. The garden path will look more impressive if the concrete is decorated with porcelain stoneware, colored tiles, as well as beautiful pebbles. Decorations are pressed into the uncured cement. One of the phases of work is the protection of products from external influences. Until the solution is completely dry, it will take 3 days. That's right, if the weather is sunny.
Varietiesplastic tiles
Plastic garden paths have become more and more common lately. They can be classified into three types, namely:
- lawn grate;
- garden parquet;
- modular flooring.
Garden parquet, as mentioned above, is also called decking and is a board in four boards. The basis is wood flour and polyvinyl chloride. The shield provides for the presence of two layers, the top of which just consists of plastic and flour. The bottom is polyvinyl chloride. But the lawn grate is used for mounting on the same areas.
The design is cellular and allows you to strengthen the ground without hindering the growth of grass. It is easy to get to the flower bed on such a coating, it maintains the appearance of the lawn and usually has a green color that harmonizes well with the grass. These tiles have excellent drainage properties and are inexpensive.
Garden path can be represented by a modular plastic coating, which is versatile. The colors and shapes of such products are varied. The main advantages of these coatings are the simplicity and ease of assembly, as well as the speed of dismantling.
Laying plastic tiles
Before laying plastic tiles, determine the direction of the track and mark the length with pegs and twine. The width will depend on the size of the tile. If you want to stack two products, then the width will be equal to the corresponding value of the two products. Over the entire length of the coverthe soil should be removed, deepening a maximum of 20 cm. This will allow you to get a shallow pit. Its bottom is well inspected in order to remove plants and roots.
Drainage pipes should be laid on the side. At the bottom there is a layer of sand, which is moistened and well compacted. Following this technology, you can lay a garden path with your own hands at low cost. It is also important to take into account the ease of installation, because plastic products are equipped with locks. Legs are on one side, while staples are on the other. The leg is inserted into the bracket until it clicks. Laying is done in separate sections.
Once all the tiles have been laid, they must be flattened. It is important to keep alignment. You can use a level for this. If the path will have turns, then the bend can be done with a jigsaw, sawing off the excess parts of the tile. The coating is made out with a border, which should protrude 5 cm above the surface. If the tile does not fit tightly to the border, then the free space can be filled with plastic cutouts or cement.
If you plan to use garden parquet in your work, then you should form a foundation screed. It is laid in a layer of 3 cm. The material is left until it hardens, only after that you can start laying tiles for the garden path. The easiest way to install a lawn grate. It is located directly on the ground and is covered with fertile soil. From above, everything is poured with water and left to shrink.
Voids should be covered with a substrate with grass seeds. If the coating is to be used seasonally,then the surface of the soil must be leveled and the tile laid on top, having well taken it. By winter, such a path is dismantled, and in the spring it fits again.
About the features of using film
If you decide to use saw cuts as the main material for the track, then it is recommended to pre-treat them with drying oil, which is brought to a boil. Such processing after drying is carried out again. Additionally, you can apply a film for garden paths. It is placed on a sand bed. In this case, you exclude the contact of wood with the ground, the material rots less due to this.
But this approach can provoke the accumulation of moisture. In order to eliminate unpleasant consequences, gentle arches must be formed under the future path from the ground. Before gravel is backfilled, the soil should be treated with herbicides so that the coating does not overgrow with weeds. For this, a film or agrofibre is used.
Self-made mold
If you want to make the track budget, then you can make molds for it yourself. As one of the options is the formwork of wooden bars. For this, products are used whose dimensions are 50 x 50 mm. They are fastened together in the amount of 4 pieces so as to get a frame. For reliable fixation, it is necessary to use grooves that are cut in opposite bars. Sheet steel can be used for the same purpose,which will act as staples. They are located at the junction of the bars and are fixed with screws.
When creating a shape for a garden path, you can use a sheet of plywood or iron as a bottom material. On the surface of the tile, these details look interesting. When using a form of impressive size, the tile is reinforced with a metal mesh. The form can also be made from sheet iron. If you have a wooden barrel on your farm, tied with iron hoops, then they can be used to imitate natural stone. The metal is bent to form a garden path. With a shortage of hoops, the formwork can be made of galvanized iron. 5 cm strips are cut out of it, and the ends are bent with a hammer according to the principle of a roof seam.
Final design
If you want to make the path complete, then it should be supplemented with curbs or a fence. These elements will resist the growth of grass if this process is not desired. With these elements, you can extend the life of the coating.
But it's important to make sure this element matches the appearance of the track. Among the main varieties of borders, one should single out those made of: plastic, concrete, wood and brick.
The outline of the track can be fixed with plastic elements. Concrete ones are used for landscape-style plots. Wooden borders are excellent for rustic areas. For a country style or an English garden, it is better to use brick elements.
