How To Build A Pathway Across A Lawn

Whether your garden design is formal, with obvious routes, or is more open and informal, directing people so that they don’t trample all over your garden can be desirable. Lawns remain ever popular for both front and rear gardens, so constructing a pathway that either leads up to your front door, or one that runs from the rear of your home to the bottom of your garden, is a good idea.

Lawns And Paths.

Pathway traditional landscape

A pathway will direct visitors in the direction you want them to walk and offer protection to more delicate areas. No one likes to see a muddy track that has been caused by people taking the same route up and down a lawn. Constructing a pathway that is durable and will protect the lawn is one thing, but making it a feature of the garden whilst adding a certain amount of style is another. Don’t be tempted to go for a quick an easy pour of concrete to make a pathway, but plan the route with some artistry in mind.

Pathway traditional landscape

If you want to encourage visitors to enjoy your garden’s borders, a pathway that runs straight up and down the center of your lawn is not ideal. Instead, why not give your pathway a meandering look, by having it follow the outline of your border. A good pathway will create a dynamic break between a border and a lawn space. Set your path out across a lawn with a destination in mind. It need not all be on show, but it is a good idea to hint that there is something to discover at the other side of the lawn. Grass does not need to grow right up to the edge of the pathway. Experiment with some designs that blur the frontiers between the lawn and pathway.

Stone Pathways.

Pathway traditional landscape
Pathway traditional landscape

Stone remains a very popular choice for garden pathway. Irregularly sized stone slabs look great in many garden settings and can be used unless your garden has an ultra-modern look. Mark out the approximate route of your pathway across the lawn with pegs and then use a turf cutter to lift the grass away. Pour sand over the route of the path right up to the edge of the lawn and lay each stone slab in place, tapping them into the sand with a rubber mallet in turn as you go. Use mortar or gravel to fix them into position.

Wooden Pathways.

Pathway traditional landscape

Wooden pathways are another good looking option, particularly if you are connecting two area of decking to one another. You can construct these sorts of pathways in very similar ways to regular decking. Alternatively, purchase purpose built wooden pathway sections and set them out over the lawn end on end.

Break Up The Look.

Pathway traditional landscape

Regularly shaped paths with perfect geometry look fantastic in formal gardens, but breaking up the look of a pathway is desirable, especially if your lawn is an irregular shape. Why not lay your paths slabs out in left and right patterns that mimic the gait of a walker? Using different materials is another great way to break up the look of a regular pathway. Use a combination of stone slabs and bricks for a novel approach to pathway construction.

Grass.

Pathway traditional landscape
Pathway traditional landscape

Hard wearing species of grass are useful for pathways. If your garden has a meadow-like look, then mowing through it to create a pathway is a lovely approach to take. Alternatively, if you don’t have a large lawn, but have devoted the majority of space to planting grass pathway is just as good as a man made one. Just make sure you use a hardy turf, such as ryegrass.

Curves.

Pathway traditional landscape
Pathway traditional landscape

Avoid straight lines with your pathway. A curving one suggests a journey with some interest to it. Even if you use square slabs for a path, cut the ones at the edges to create a softer line. Mark out your curves before you begin construction so that you get a feel for the look of it before you are fully committed.

Picture sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.