it doesn't have to be straw if that's the case. Mulch - especially cedar mulch will do just as well. AS for pea gravel. I liked them. Had them before as pathways in my raised bed front yard garden. I love the crunch.. however just some points to consider. You need to lay down a layer of lime screening and perhaps landscapers fabric to help keep the soil level. During winter, the ground tends to swell up and own because of the freeze and thaws. This layer helps to keep the pea stones from 'disappearing' into mud. Second, pea gravel never stays in place. As you move around, so does it. It gets messy that way. It will flow out into the driveway or into the sidewalks unless you set up barriers to keep it in place. It is not a good surface if you need to bring wheel barrows in. It will not prevent weeds. I've had to deal with dandelions despite the seemingly impenetrable layer of screenings.

Hi folks, I have so enjoyed reading about and seeing photos of your potagers and especially how you create the paths. Your gardens are all so beautiful. Because my potager is very small (9' x 19' now) I have to have a 2' wide path going through or I wouldn't have much room for the beds (I made so many plans trying to accommodate a wider path, I lost track of which one was the final one at one point! lol) So, for the path I decided on pea gravel, which I started putting in today and I absolutely love it. This mix has browns, blues, grays, and some green and black and gold hues. It will really add to the garden I think. Small but interesting! I got so much inspiration from all your ideas, photos, and thoughts on how to do this. Thank you everyone! Donna

I love the look of flagstones: to me it can have a very cottagey feel. I haven't seen your house so not sure if that's best. I also like bluestone and granite. Also, have you considered crushed stone or pea gravel? There is one local company that installs them in an ashpalt bed in a way that you can't really see the asphalt, but the stone is fixed so you don't end up with a yard full of rocks when you shovel your walk. Not sure if there are issues with that type of installation but it might be something to consider. In defense of brick paths, I consider them to read "neutral" in color even though they are usually reddish. So, if it helps your marriage, it's not the end of the world if you end up taking that path (pun intended!). Here is a link that might be useful: how to post photos on gardenweb

The paths between your beds should be at least three feet wide. If this seems like a lot of wasted space, imagine kneeling down to work on a 1-2' wide path, or maneuvering your wheelbarrow along skinny paths without damaging your plants. Larger pathways are much more comfortable to work with, and are one of just four improvements that Mel has made on his method since his book was published over 20 years ago. (See his website for the other updates to his method.) Your budget, your aesthetic preferences, and available materials will determine what you use for the paths between your raised beds. Here are a few ideas: Any fancy material typically used for a sidewalk or paved garden path can be used, including flagstone paths, concrete pavers, bricks, etc. set into concrete, sand, gravel, rock screenings, etc. There are multiple sites on the Internet that give detailed descriptions of how to construct these kinds of paths. Grass, edged along the beds with a weedeater or square-bladed shovel. Paths made from broken-up concrete slabs (free if you're willing to scrounge) set into grass, sand, gravel, or rock screenings. Organic materials (hay, wood chips, grass clippings, etc) over dampened cardboard boxes or newspaper. The cardboard/newspaper blocks weeds, and the whole mess gradually breaks down and will need to be replenished every year or so. One GW member rakes up the breaking-down materials and uses it as a fall/winter mulch for her beds, then places fresh materials down to start breaking down over the winter. If you want a super-permanent path between your square foot beds, take a look at some of the nifty concrete molds available at home improvement stores. They come in many different patterns (random stone, slate and herringbone brick, just to name a few) and are quite easy to use. Depending on the design you choose, they can be used for straight or curved paths.