People have varied preferences when it comes to gardens. From vast areas of close-cropped lawn or borders flourishing with cottage blooms to regimented rows of healthy vegetables, gardens come in all shapes and sizes. Thanks to a plethora of TV gardening programmes, contemporary garden designs with plenty of hard landscaping have also found favour. Whatever your preference in terms of garden design, there's no doubt that most gardens look better with some well designed and constructed pathways and a practical area of paving to create a favourite sun trap or a useful outdoor dining area.
Like most tasks in the garden, success when creating a pathway or paved area depends on a number of factors. Of course a creative eye for good design makes a huge difference but knowledge and experience are also key, as is the selection of suitable and high quality materials.
Paths serve a number of purposes in the garden. Naturally providing a route for moving from one part of the garden to another is the primary reason for building a path, but it's surprising how many people fail to consider basic needs before setting out their paths and opt for expensive designs that end up being by-passed because they don't connect the most frequently used areas in an efficient manner. A twisty and winding pathway may look pretty and interesting but if it lies on a regularly used route, those walking it will soon become frustrated at the unnecessarily long journey they are forced to undertake. By all means create interesting designs, but consider practical aspects too. The same considerations go for construction materials. Will your paths need to withstand use by heavier traffic or wheeled vehicles? A path made from broken paving stones may look quaint and cottage-like, but those wheeling lawnmowers along them may not appreciate the look quite so much as they battle along it. Equally a path made from loose pebbles can become a chore as the stones move around or wheels embed themselves during use.
Man-made materials can make the laying of paths a little easier, with block paving in standards sizes reducing the need to split blocks and fill-in but natural stone is of course the material many would prefer to use. You can't beat the look of some high quality flag stones, with Indian stone, Cotswold stone and York stone being a few of the most popular sandstone paving flags. Other materials that are frequently used include limestone paving and slate paving stones - both of which are also suitable for indoor use.
Each of these paving stone materials has its own unique way of being worked and can be crafted using masonry processes into specific designs such as steps, rises or landings and can include moulding edge detail, slip-resistance surfaces or be used as wall detailing like coping stones.
Once a suitable natural stone has been selected and sourced the task of laying the stone needs to be done with care. Many people opt to employ the services of an experienced landscaping company which has the benefit of professional machinery and knowledgeable staff to complete the job efficiently and to a good standard. However, most paving projects can be undertaken by the amateur gardener given sufficient time and willingness to research the construction process beforehand. Like many DIY jobs, preparation is essential and with pathways and paved areas much of the hard graft involved goes into preparing the foundations or footings. Laying the natural stone paving is of course the most rewarding phase, but without a good base, even using the highest quality stone can result in a shoddy outcome, unless preparation is done well.
Of course purchasing your natural stone from a reputable supplier can save a lot of time and money. There are various aspects to consider before starting a project such as varying flag thickness and working with riven surfaces, all of which make finding a local natural stone expert well worth the effort. They will be able to offer advice on laying techniques and base preparation and can help avoid expensive wastage and unnecessary cutting.
