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oliveoyl3

front door path questions

oliveoyl3
11 years ago

I'm looking for your suggestions to create a more formal front yard landscape, which includes a path to the front door in need of updating.

Which style and material should we use for a 4' wide path from a gravel driveway to the front porch in a rural setting where we have rain October - June? We have been gathering materials to do this with as little cash outlay as possible since we don't own, but live here as part of employment. We're moving into this home from another one walking just up the road.

1. formal straight or informal curved?
What is best here -- a formal 4' wide straight path to the front door or an informal gently curved walkway entering from the right side curving left to arrive at the porch? In the photo you see the path worn in the grass from previous occupants.

The garage/shop tilts toward the house rather than perpendicular and driveway is a bit narrow for 2 cars & room to walk around them.d It seems that one could access a right side path entrance easier than a straight path lined up with the front porch because that would also be lined up with the front wheels or even middle of our cars. Would another photo with a car in the driveway help show the location? {{gwi:27824}}From 2013-05-03
{{gwi:27825}}From Drop Box
{{gwi:27826}}From 2013-05-03

2. concrete pavers, cast concrete from mold, or rubber stomp stone pavers?
We have gray concrete stepping stones (12 inch squares, 12x8 rectangles in 2 colors, rounds in 2 sizes both aggregate & smooth, plus the 10 hexagons currently installed) plus orange bricks and a concrete stepping stone mold. Thinking of installing edging like a double row brick on sides for mowing strip or to keep mulch material off path if we install gardens across front instead of grass on both sides.

Have you used the rubber pavers? I am opposed to rubber mulch & think this material might release the same toxins into the soil.

This is a photo to give an idea of my naturalistic, informal assymmetrical gardening style.

Three years ago we built this rocky path and installed a french drain to contain seasonal run-off from the driveway that sloped toward the house & yard. We had low spots with poor drainage and a worn path in the grass leading to the spigot. We built it the width of a roll of landscape cloth then built up the garden beds on both sides to connect the front of the house garden to the sides that run the length. Rocks were already piled up as dug from our vegetable gardens and the paver pieces were a freebie for the hauling. This is a slow walking path, not an entrance path like we want to remake at the new place. {{gwi:27827}}From 2010 flower garden

Here is the same garden 2 years later. {{gwi:27828}}From Drop Box

More views of our naturalistic garden style making the most of our part sun location in the woods. {{gwi:27830}}From Drop Box
{{gwi:27831}}From Drop Box
{{gwi:27832}}From Drop Box

What would you suggest?

Here is a link that might be useful: Home Depot stomp stone

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