Sunday, April 19, 2009

Walking the Walk




Any gardner knows that walking around gardening beds can be trecherous and sometimes messy if the garden paths are not covered with an appropriate material.

There are numerous options for garden path coverings; for larger gardens salt hay or other mulch material is excellent. In smaller gardens, one can afford a little more durable or decorative material. In our potager, we selected pea gravel. This will be perfect for keeping our feet out of the mud, but still permeable for water to get to the soil.

When selecting path material, keep in mind a few things. One, you need a material that will cover mud and dirt completely in order to keep feet and shoes clean and not track dirt and mud everywhere in the yard or house. Next, it needs to be comfortable on the feet; using jagged stones or other material will be uncomfortable on your feet. Finally, it needs to be attractive.

Here are some suggestions for garden tread materials
· River Stones
· Pea Gravel
· Salt Hay
· Bark Mulch (chips, not shreads).
· Rubber Mulch (made of recycled tires).

Whatever you chose, make sure it coordinates with the other hardscape materials of your home. Happy gardening!

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