One of the most important design elements in a garden is structure. It’s easy (ok, it is a little bit of work!) to add structure by adding paths and garden walkways. They give the eye a place to rest, follow, and let you lead visitors throughout the garden. Classic DIY garden walkway ideas & projects can be done in a weekend, and can seriously up the anty on any garden design. Even adding a simple DIY pathway from the street to the front door adds value. You can direct the garden wanderings or keep visitors out of special areas. Also, garden walkways can lead the eye to the important focal points and recreation areas of your yard.
We’ve done a few posts on casual garden paths, but it was time to make sure you all had the classic options as well. Try out these projects to give your garden a smart framework and foundation.
Learn how to lay a paver or flagstone walkway from ‘BHG‘… instructions for three different options of garden pathway.
‘Paint Speckled Paw Prints‘ transformed their existing “paver in the grass” garden walkway into one laid into rock for easier mowing. Make sure you scroll down to the end of their post and see the photo of the front yard with the finished garden path. Big improvement! I would have chosen a different rock, but I’m probably biased against red lava rock. Maybe I saw too much in my youth in California!
Another idea of the same type of project with a different mulching material between the pavers! This DIY garden walkway idea is by Danielle from ‘Life Be Green‘…
Find out how to lay a slate walkway from ‘Young House Love‘. This one looks so high end!
Learn how to lay a brick path, from ‘This Old House‘. This is a great DIY garden walkway project for a more traditional home.
Also from ‘This Old House‘, how to lay a gravel path. I would use this material for a more casual home, but remember to choose gravel that compacts together for easy walking. Round pea gravel is not easy to walk in! This is a cheap garden path idea as well.
And number 7 is how to build a concrete walkway, by ‘Family Handyman‘… This is the most permanent solution, so make sure of your placement before you take this one on. Good luck with adding a DIY garden walkway to your garden!
If you loved this post on 7 Classic DIY Garden Walkway Ideas & Projects, you will want to jump on over to our post on 9 DIY Cool & Creative Patio Flooring Ideas or DIY Concrete Patio Cover Up Ideas!
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Thee are great just bought a new house and about to start some landscaping on our property, and there is nothing better than clean paths through neatly trimmed vegetation.
Has anyone used Milliken Concrete Cloth?
It is a fabric with concrete. It can be molded into shapes. They do bulk industrial rolls and small rolls two people can carry. It has numerous applications around the yard and comes in several thicknesses. I’m interested in using it instead of black plastic liner. You cut to shape, lie on dirt, then apply water-lots of water. The water turns the fabric to concrete. Add your pebbles or mulch and stepping stones after the concrete is dry and you should never see a weed. Why haven’t we heard of this before!! Can make planters, apply to sliding dirt, make walls, etc.
This cloth sounds great! I just emailed Milliken for more info. I would love it for a small walkway area behind my pool that would primarily be used when cleaning the pool. It’s just a muddy area between the pool and a planting bed – I don’t want grass because it’s difficult to mow. This could be the answer!!
how do you get rid of water logging, garden really bad can’t lay anything ? x
for 45 years I have used carpet under all my mulch. the rain goes thru it but no weeds and its free from carpet stores just raid their dumpster not pad real carpet…
Wow really?! Does it not smell reek of mildew from getting wet? I’m intrigued!
Actually, I pulled up old carpet at my old house that reeked of cat urine….my cat got old and started having issues. :-( I had cut it into two foot wide strips and rolled and tied it up, feeding a couple per week into the trash bin rather than paying hefty dump fees to haul it all off at once.
Well, the rains came and I figured the remaining carpeting would turn into a moldy, mushy mess. But, lo and behold, the rains actually cleaned those rolls and took away the cat urine and smell.
Go figure.
Do you lay the weed barrier 1st then the sand and then the patio block, that’s what I was
told by a landscape personal, just curious??
Thank you.
Exactly!
I like tho copy the second sample and I will also add landscape lights.. Walkways adds beauty in the garden.
Black landscape fabric over sand lasted one year and the weeds are growing in the spaces that were filled with sand also!
It seems like landscape fabric varies in quality just like everything else… You can try a spray called “Ground Clear” if you don’t plan on planting any plants in the walkway… It keeps anything from growing for over a year.
what do you put on the brick to make it shine?
Any kind of sealer suitable for masonry, like Thompsons water seal will give it a little “shine” though not like a gloss. Hope that helps!
The walkways looks great. Specially the first one. But the main issue is as Lois put here, how do we “permanently” keep the weeds away. Weed spray only works when we spray it, but will come back some time later.
Can you please tell me what kind of stepper is used in that very dark grey? I have been looking everywhere for something exactly like it.
Hi Nancy,
That photo is by Danielle for ‘Life Be Green”, she lives in Seattle… It seems like different areas of the country have different supplies available to them! If you can’t find this darker grey, you could use a concrete stain on plain steppers! Good luck!
How do you keep the weeds out of the paths that you lay in
dirt or gravel.
We either use a landscape fabric underneath, or a weed spray…
Hey Kathy, I was thinking along those same lines (weed barriers), and then I found this article. I’ve changed my mind after reading this:
http://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2012/06/weed-barrier-fabric-or-weed-barrier-cloth-does-it-work/
Interesting opinion! I suppose everything has it’s limitations!
Very nice
Preen helps. Mulch helps more. Neither is a complete solution. The only way I’ve found that actually works to keep weeds out is to pull them when they appear. I take a five or ten minute walk through my gardens every day and yank out anything that doesn’t belong as soon as it sprouts. I call it weed patrol. And forget weed block fabric or even worse, black plastic. Eventually the weeds grow anyway and it’s a nightmare to remove. Weed patrol. Every day.
I like the slate walkway!!
Great ideas…