what size gravel is best for walkways?
donnatrus
4 years ago
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Yardvaark
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agodonnatrus
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Materials Question: Pea Gravel, Mulch, or What?
Comments (19)I find your question to be interesting. Let's play around with some design thoughts. You do not indicate just how much gardening you wish to do on the site, which would be helpful in planning. Leaving the earth bare around the house, which is low to the ground would lead to mud splashing up on the building and a 'trench' would form eventually from dripping water. Pea gravel is difficult to clear of debris. Larger cobbles make that job a bit easier. There probably will be a snow load dropping which would discourage planting low creepers around the house. If I were doing the design, and you had very deep pockets, random cut bluestone or sandstone (stone color that worked with house color) would be laid from the edge of the house outward, forming an irregular walkway around the house and the stone would be extended into several patio areas where needed. Into this walkway I would incorporate a few groupings of interesting large stone. On the outside of the walk garden areas would be planned that provided interest when viewed, both summer and winter, from the inside. This is an expensive 'fix' but as I studied your pictures my whole plan fell into place. Difficult to write in words. So...back to the real world. Your first step is to study the prevailing wind patterns to understand just how debris is going to pile against the house. If necessary, pound some sticks in the ground with plastic streamers attached and study the wind patterns. Some areas around the house will be very quiet. Others will be hit full force. I would encourage you to use flat, large stone in the latter areas for ease of cleanup. In other more quiet spots use large cobbles. With a bit of thought the two types of stone could be married in interesting patterns. Don't work in straight lines. Curves, please. Hopefully this thumbnail sketch will give you a few ideas....See MorePea gravel, or is there better for walkways?
Comments (18)Pea gravel, which comprises small smooth irregular roundish stones in various shades of brown and tan, is the traditional material for formal garden paths. I have never had difficulty walking on it. It does need to be contained with edging, weeds have to be sprayed or pulled, and it looks better when raked-- the frequency would depend upon usage. Threeapples' parterre garden will not be used as a playground, and nothing else will look as appropriate as pea gravel in the setting she describes. Wood bark or chips is, IMO, the worst path material available. The first hard rain and it washes away....it is too light and it is not at all attractive....See MoreWood Fence Gate swining over gravel walkway?
Comments (1)It might be easier to understand the question if you explain merely the difference between the two proposed solutions. What do you mean "... a 2" give where gate opens ..."? If the gate sags, why would you not fix that regardless of what you do with the ground? It seems you are talking about two separate and unrelated issues: a muddy walkway and a sagging gate. Fix of either is not dependent on the other. Keeping gravel in the walkway will require edge retention whose depth equals or exceeds the gravel layer depth. You did not say anything about how long lasting your design solution is geared for....See MoreDIY PEA GRAVEL CACTUS GARDEN and WALKWAY - LANDSCAPE FABRIC?
Comments (18)Thanks everyone for the helpful input! I was leaning to not using the fabric, now I feel more confident in my decision. Yes, I think for the gravel pathway surface between the pavers and the planter boxes, where it will see more foot traffic, I'm looking for a very hard, compacted surface made up smooth pea gravel mixed with some fines and compacted into either drain gravel or base rock. Our local nursery has this surface, and it looks like pea gravel, maybe mixed with blue fines, compacted into road base. Towards the dry garden, I agree with either bigger gravel but I definitely thought it'd be looser. I have been thinking about what gravel material layers to use for back garden and now the front pathway for about a year! Pro landscapers tell me Decomposed Granite is what I want, but it will carry into house and scuff up floors, and does not drain well, etc. So thats why I'm thinking blue pea gravel as its aligned to our aesthetic wont track in as easily and scuff. I also want a hard surface that drains well and does not pool water, hence me wanting to use drain rock under pea gravel. it feels like DG would stick to your shoes when wet and track and pea gravel wont as its not sandy like that DG. I think Ill do a square foot test - gravel into base rock, or gravel and fines into drain gravel. As for the raw clay soil prep for plants, yes I totally agree with needing a wider hole and or mound, especially in hard clay. The way I usually plant in ground into our hard clay, is dig a hole 3 times bigger than potted plant, then fill the whole 1/3 with 50/50 mix of clay soil and cactus/succulent mix form Hardware Store ( amended mix) . then fill the rest with 100% cactus/succulent mix, mulch on top and superficial pea gravel for cover. Some quick screengrab examples and my updated layers plan...See MoreYardvaark
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