By Jackie Sledge
Big Country Master Gardener Association
We have lived in our house for over 20 years, and I think the plans for both the house and the yard have changed at least that many times over the years. The backyard is about 140’ by 140’, and what started out as a wonderful opportunity for outdoor living has now turned into a challenge to maintain. The landscape anchors are still correct – the 12’ by 16’ storage building, Red Oak trees, a mesquite tree, Shoal Creek Vitex trees, and several flower beds. What isn’t great at this time in our lives is the vast expanse of turfgrass that must be mowed, fertilized, weeded, and watered. So, what should we do?
For years my husband and I have been talking about adding an extension to the back porch, maybe a pergola with a sitting area, and walkways through the yard, but we’ve never settled on a design we both like and think will add to the backyard “curb” appeal. We have looked at a variety of designs and materials used for walkways, and it is overwhelming! (Different sources use the words path, pathway, and walkway to describe the same structure in the landscape, and I will use the term “walkway” in this article.)
There are many shapes, sizes, materials, and designs to analyze and determine if they will fit not only our need to get around in the yard, but to add beauty to the area. Let’s look at each of these walkway characteristics:
Shapes
Walkways connect the outdoor spaces in the landscape together and make them both usable and accessible. A walkway can be straight or curved depending on how you want to connect different areas in your landscape. Straight walkways have a more formal sense, but they can also look slightly rigid. Curved walkways are more informal and more flexible, especially when there are uneven areas in the yard. You should select the shape that best fits your personal preference and fits in with your existing landscape.
Sizes
Major walkways can be larger and built out of more elaborate or textured materials than less used or less noticeable walkways, and how the walkway will be used must be considered when determining its width. A narrow walkway should be a minimum of 2’ wide to accommodate one person to walk along it. Walkways that will be used by a person and any type of wheeled equipment, such as a wheelbarrow, should be at least 3’ wide. Walkways should be at least 4’ wide to allow two people to walk beside each other or pass each other. Finally, walkways should be at least 5’ wide to accommodate people using wheelchairs or children riding bicycles.
Designs
Walkways connect your landscape and make the spaces accessible and useful. You can design a pleasant and enjoyable yard by identifying certain areas of the landscape and then connecting them with walkways. People usually take the shortest, most direct walk from where they are to where they want to go so that is a consideration when laying out the walkways. See where you think you would walk to get from one place to another in your yard and note that in your design plan. Safety and accessibility should always be considered when designing walkways. Some safety features are textured surfaces to improve traction, lighting to illuminate the walkway at night, and slight sloping in areas to prevent water from remaining on the walkway. Follow Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines for wheelchair or walker-dependent users, and handrails are important additions for people with balance problems. Above all, be flexible when designing walkways.
Materials
Choosing the surface material for the walkways is fun! Walkways can be made from hard or soft material, and the selection should be made based on the walkway’s function, your budget, and your personal preferences. Soft materials include bark, wood chips, pine needles, loose gravel, and wood. These perform best in informal and low-traffic areas. They are inexpensive and easy to install, but they settle, scatter, or decompose so they must be replenished or replaced every few years. Hard materials include brick, flagstone, concrete pavers, and concrete. These are more expensive and time-consuming to install, but they are permanent. They are durable, require only occasional maintenance, and are perfect for high-traffic areas.
Let’s look at some specific materials.
Bark, wood chips, and pine needles. These provide a natural look and are perfect for a quick or temporary path. They can be laid directly on the soil or on a gravel bed if there is poor drainage. They can be purchased as bagged materials from a nursery or garden center, and these are usually cleaner and more uniform in size. They can also be purchased in bulk supplies by the cubic yard.
Wood. Boards must be cut the correct length and attached securely to a frame. Care must be taken to ensure the wooden walkway is smooth to lessen the chance of tripping on an uneven surface. The boards can be treated to reduce decay and rot.
Gravel and crushed rock. Over time crushed stone or decomposed granite will compact into a hard, tidy path, and it can be laid with or without an edging or base. This material is purchased by the ton or cubic yard.
Concrete pavers. Precast concrete pavers are versatile, readily available, and the least expensive hard-surface material. They come in a range of colors and shapes, and precast edgings are also available to finish the sides of the walkway. These are sold by the piece at home and garden centers.
Brick. Bricks come in a variety of sizes, colors, and textures, and they can be used to make formal or informal walkways. They must be laid on a prepared base of sand and gravel. Bricks provide a long-lasting surface.
Flagstone. These stones are cut into squares, rectangles, or irregular pieces, and they are laid as individual steppingstones in patterns. They come in a variety of colors, textures, and sizes, and they should be at least 2” thick to prevent breaking. Flagstones can be the most expensive paving choice.
Concrete. Concrete requires careful planning. You must set up forms and be sure they are level, spaced correctly, and fastened firmly to the stakes so there is no movement when the concrete is poured. This provides a permanent walkway that requires little maintenance, but it is also an expensive option.
I think I am wrapping up the final steps of planning the walkways to complete the redo of our backyard.
- I have taken an inventory of the yard and made a list of what we want.
- I have made a rough sketch of our property, including the house, shape of the yard, and existing landscape anchor beds, trees, and plants.
- I have made several rough drafts of what trees, beds, and walkways we want to add. I have “walked” these plans throughout the yard to be sure we select the plan that will work the best for us.
- I have made a final layout with the design we decided to use. This design minimizes mowing, fertilizing, weeding, and watering since more of the turfgrass area has been replaced by hardscape.
- I have gotten cost estimates and prioritized the projects so we are ready to begin phase 1 of the landscape makeover.
I am very excited about our plans and will keep you updated about our progress in getting our backyard makeover completed.
BCMGA offers several education programs each month. There is a program at 6:00 p.m. on the 1st Tuesday of the month at the South Library Branch in the Mall of Abilene, and the same program is presented again at 10:00 a.m. on the 2nd Friday of the month at the Downtown Library. There is a Saturday Seminar on the last Saturday of the month at 9:00 a.m. at the Taylor County Extension Office Conference Room. Watch the BCMGA website and Facebook page for the topics and dates of these monthly programs.
If you have any questions, call the Taylor County Extension Office at 325-672-6048 or email us at mgardeners@yahoo.com. We hope you visit bcmgtx.org for information on all Big Country Master Gardener events, like us on BCMGA Facebook, and check out training presentations on BCMGA YouTube. We are here to help you.
