Material for woodland path- stones/gravel ok?
Heruga (7a Northern NJ)
last year
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Sigrid
last year3onthetree
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How deep to make gravel garden path? Material types...
Comments (11)I have four paths in my garden. A black and white river rock path up on the dogs level edged in broken concrete over soil. Ground cover sneaks in from the side and just needs to be pulled. A stone path on level two with fragaria ground over around it, easy to maintain as well. Level one is a border of retaining wall blocks filled with crushed granite super easy to walk on, great traction, and I can hear who is coming towards the house in case I gotta grab a frying pan for friend or foe. In front I have a bark path edged with broken concrete that I walk on all the time and do not have issues with weeds. I'm in the woods and the birds add voluntary additions of foliar specimens. I either keep them or pull them out. I do top off the bark path to refresh it and have another bark barrier along a retaining wall that is about 4 inches deep....See MorePath: Thin layer of crushed gravel on compact clay?
Comments (13)I just think you would find that that construction method does not hold up--especially for heavy-ish objects on wheels.The fact that it would be over the compacted clay affects how the path handles water and so the thin layer that you describe will not necessarily compact together properly, as I understand it. So one point might be, if you are just trying to have a path that has some gravel showing here and there and you like the texture combo rather than just hardpacked dirt, it may be that no special kind of gravel is needed because--and I am not an expert here--you have bypassed the construction methods that promote the behavior of DG as packing and interlocking particles. If you were just aiming for a footpath to avoid mud, I would say that it is possible to make informal stepstone or paver paths with less rather than more preparation than is often recommended--again that is allowing for lower expectations for aesthetics and stability; but for rolling wheelbarrows and garbage cans, you need more width than a step-stone type path. Maybe it is because I take to heart your proposed dimensions--1/4-1/2 inch thick is not very much! I believe that some apparently well-worn hiking trails actually have additional gravel added over time for this very reason. Plus if you have hiked after a rain and after the park rangers have driven through you will see the ruts with standing water and mud. One concern I have is that adding the very thin layer may actually change the clay to be more of a weed substrate than before, because now the soil may become more porous and aerated instead of being relatively inhospitable. When you say "easy to hoe," I think, hoeing is so disruptive, it will make it worse, and then how does it end up looking better than just a beaten path? But what I hear you saying is, you would like the look of a gravel-ish path. So maybe if your expectations for better function are low and you like the aesthetics of a gravel-ly path, it is right for you. This is a long way of saying I have not made a path like this with good long-term results....See MorePea gravel paths...help needed
Comments (4)Landscapers are generally NOT designers though they are called on all the time to perform this service and many of them offer and advertise it. To be fair, some landscapers have quite the knack for design and become quite good at it. (Specifying what should be used as a garden floor is a design function.) We hear all the time here about people wanting to use pea gravel as a garden floor. Pea gravel is more or less rounded stones, so if you like walking in a pool of marbles, it could be the perfect solution. However, most people greatly dislike walking on a floor that moves and sinks beneath their feet with each step. A good gravel floor should be fairly firm and hard beneath one's feet. Creating it requires gravel with a mixture of stone sizes, down to dust, and stone shapes that are angular, not rounded. You could actually improve the walkability of the pea gravel by adding sand over the top. Over time, it would settle in the voids between the pea stone and prevent it from shifting as the voids fill. Because it would happen over time, it would mean adding sand over time. As the voids fill up, it would be good to end up adding sand that is angular in nature and has small chips in it. (What is sometimes called "paver base" or "limestone screenings.") Things are called different names in different parts of the country, so anything that is like a course, dusty sand would work.) Consider that by adding another material to the existing pea gravel, it would change the appearance. Determine ahead of time what would be tolerable. If grade permits, after the pea gravel voids are filled with sand, you could cover the whole thing with a new material (at least two inches) of a proper, packable, granular stone mixture....See MoreAdvice on natural looking edging for gravel path
Comments (5)I will second Yardvaark's comment on the pea gravel. It moves underfoot rather like ball-bearings, gets inside sandals, and can be kicked by normal walking into gardens, lawns, etc. A surface that includes fines and so packs into a solid-feeling surface, whether something like what is referred to as crusher-run around here or shredded bark will be far more comfortable and functional. Metal edging (though probably best this can difficult to come by for homeowners IME), Trex type composite edging if well supported from both sides to prevent warping, or well-buried plastic edging all are possibilities....See Morefloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
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