Great Ideas on How to Design a Walkway Landscaping Project

Walkways and paths can be a key component to any landscape design project. Walkways can be as simple as a path made of stepping stones, to as complex as a full brick paved path. You are only limited by your imagination and what you want to achieve with your landscape project. To start your design, think about the purpose of the walkway. Why do you need it, and more importantly where is it going to and coming from? A Walkway's purpose is to convey the visitor along a specified path. In essence the path helps to communicate with the visitor by silently saying, "Come this way". Often paths leading from decks or leading to gardens are popular design choices. Another great idea for walkway layout is to ensure that you place a paved walkway wherever the highest traffic is. An old trick is to wait and observe an area to see where people naturally want to walk, and then place the walkway along that path. It is a small bit of psychological design.

There are several different types of materials that you can choose for your walkway. Some great ideas are paver stones, regular loose stone, brick, flagstone, or even pressure treated wood. The important thing to remember is that you section of walkway material will affect the mood and feel of the project. For example a wood walkway sends a different psychological message than a flagstone walk. One is more formal, and one is more laid back. The choice is up to you, depending on the mood that you are trying to communicate. Keep in mind also that whatever material you choose, you should stick with it though out the project. Mixing materials creates a disjointed look, and should be avoided.

In so far as walkway layout, try to keep the design organic. That is to say, generally in nature, there are no straight lines. Unless you are looking for an English formal gardens look, try to put some curves and turns in your paths. It will make them more visually interesting, and will help to make them blend in more with the natural environment you are trying to draw your visitor in to.

Another important both aesthetic and safety consideration is landscape lighting of the path. For safety you should ensure that at night there is at least adequate light to allow for safe passage. A great choice for landscape lighting is solar lights. They are low cost, environmentally friendly, and very easy to install. When installing landscape lights along a walkway, ensure that you try to place the lights all along the same side of the path. Putting lights on opposite sides of a path creates a disjointed look and can break up the visual symmetry that you are trying to achieve.

If you wish to create a more informal garden path, you can do that with a series of stepping-stones. These can be purchased at any garden store, Home Depot, or Lowes. You will want to clear the path of any vegetation before you place the stones. A great tip is to bury some landscaping fabric under the stepping-stones before you place them, to prevent weeds from growing up under the path. You can leave it natural, but for an added surprise after dark you can get some small solar lights and hide them along the path in foliage, so that after dark the lights create an inviting glow along the path beckoning visitors to explore.