Soft Walkway Ideas
- Basket weave bricks set far enough apart are edged with low-growing herbs.Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
Set flat steppingstones, bricks, cobblestones, slate pieces or other hard surface material into place. Plant vegetation around them to soften their edges and create an aesthetically pleasing walkway. Herbs such as carpet thymes, Corsican mint and chamomile are fragrant cultivars to plant in your walkway. Ajuga, pennywort or blue star creeper are plant choices that tolerate foot traffic. Try Irish moss for a soft carpet between your walkway's hardscape. A unique planted path is constructed by setting grid-shaped concrete pavers end to end and seeding grass to grow inside the grid and on either side of the walkway. - Loose stone walkways are used in formal garden layouts.Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
Edge your walkway with brick set lengthwise or at 45-degree angles for a pointed edge. Or trench in plastic edging set just above ground level to hold in loose fill and keep out weeds. Shredded cedar mulch, crushed stone, gravel, crushed oyster shell or river pebbles can fill a soft walkway in your landscape. For added visual interest, set larger, attractive stones at the edge of your path in random positions. - Purple salvia walkway edging will bring butterflies to your landscape.Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
Soften the look of your backyard walkway by edging a brick, concrete or flagstone walk with plants that have a lot of movement or texture. Plant smaller hostas such as baby bunting or blue mouse ears in positions to create a seamless border for your path. Pachysandra, a shade-loving evergreen with green leathery leaves that have coarsely toothed edges, provides an interesting texture to your walkway's border. Variegated ivy forms a soft border to your walkway that discourages weed growth. - Temporary, roll-out walkways are great alternatives for a vacation home.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
If you have a sandy or muddy area that needs a walkway in certain circumstances, roll out a prefabricated, wooden walkway held together by a flexible plastic backing. Cut your walkway into any length you need. Once laid on your sandy or muddy surface, this roll-out walkway provides sure footing on a path that gives with the soft material underneath. For the ultimate choice of wood, try Eastern white cedar for its naturally rot- and insect-resistant qualities. Cedar wooden walkways turn silvery gray over time for a weathered walkway that blends into your landscape.
