In addition to functionality, the paths in the country house play a huge role in the original landscape design. The presence of beautiful original paths gives the site sophistication, creates a positive impression of its owners.

Sometimes it is difficult to decide on the material for garden alleys in order to fully preserve the ideal harmony of the site, without going beyond the available budget.

It is important that the material chosen for the arrangement of the paths is in harmony with the style of the garden. So after drawing up the estimate documentation, as well as calculating the required dimensions, you can start choosing the most optimal material.

Natural stone

At the moment, natural stone is still considered one of the status and practical materials for various coatings.

Used marble, sandstone and granite. Focusing on the preferences of the owners of the site, a stone is selected in a light or dark shade. Stone alleys have various shapes, but they need professionalism when laying.

The stone is incredibly demanded, which is laid in plates. It's called limestone. An identical and affordable option is considered to be an imitation of natural stone, which is offered on the market in a variety of assortments.

The stone alleys look great, in harmony with the trees and shrubs growing on the site. Natural stone goes well with pebbles.

Among the advantages of the stone are durability of use, a high degree of resistance to mechanical influences, aesthetics, a variety of textures and configurations. The disadvantages include a fairly high price, slippery when the surface is moistened and covered with a crust of ice in frost.

Paving stones

Garden paths made of paving stones are in demand due to their durability, high resistance to temperature extremes.

A diverse palette of shades and a variety of configurations make paving slabs a versatile material used in a wide variety of design ideas.

The paving stones are easy to install and fit perfectly into the garden space of any shape. According to the production type, the paving stones are produced in several types, therefore, they are sawn and also chipped.

The advantages include versatility of use. Among the minuses - laying at a non-professional level can cause distortions.

Brick

Clinker brick is often used as a coating for garden paths, as it is convenient during installation, fits well into a site of any style, and is presented in a variety of shades.

It is important to note that we are talking about clinker, since building bricks are not suitable for creating garden alleys.

Alleys made of wood

This type of path for the garden can hardly be called practical, however, additional impregnation, as well as processing, can increase their resistance to the negative effects of mold and moisture.

To maximize the performance of the coating, it is advisable to apply it exclusively on dry heights.

The most suitable tree species for organizing alleys is oak, the rest of the array also has positive characteristics.

Inexpensive options for the price category are wood cuts, as well as bars, and a more expensive option is a terrace board.

Among the advantages of wood alleys are originality and affordability. Among the disadvantages are impracticality, as well as instability to mechanical influences.

Concrete alley

Poured concrete alleys are widespread in suburban areas. This coating is considered to be a barrier to weeds and has increased resistance to the negative effects of moisture.

Forms for such alleys are sold in any specialty store. With this type of fixture, concrete becomes a true design find. Using dyes, colored details are obtained, the shapes provide for a specific pattern.

The advantages of concrete tracks include practicality and durability, as well as external originality, and among the minuses, the laboriousness of the work process stands out.

Choose the most suitable material and equip beautiful and stylish alleys on your site!

Photo of paths at their summer cottage

Country paths are a kind of transport arteries between the house, buildings and other objects. They give the site a well-groomed look, prevent trampling of plants and keep shoes clean. We offer you a selection of ideas on how to arrange and from what to make paths in the country. Some of these ideas can be easily implemented with your own hands, while others will require the involvement of specialists.

The following types of tracks are distinguished:

• By the type of execution - solid and prefabricated (from separate elements).
• By type: straight and winding. A little design trick: winding paths can visually make the site larger.
• By manufacturing method: permanent and temporary. For temporary use materials that can be easily dismantled - rubber, plastic.

Important! Before you break up the tracks with your own hands, you need to think over a plan. Trails should connect not only the main buildings, but also household facilities (greenhouse, swimming pool, campfire site), beds, flower beds.

What can be used to make paths in the country

Natural stone. It does not have to be expensive granite or basalt, you can use limestone, shale, tuff, dolomite, sandstone and other rocks. There are sawn stone and ready-made slabs on sale, but if you wish, you can do with untreated blocks, the main thing is that at least one side is even.

Made of wood. The best option is oak, conifers and larch, but you can take any wood. There are several options for such tracks:

• Walkways made of ordinary boards.

• Wooden tiles.

• Cuts of tree trunks - elements of different sizes can be used.

• Combination: eg wood planks with pebbles or gravel.

Construction Materials. This includes tiles, paving stones, asphalt and other materials that are used everywhere. Strong, reliable, but not cheap. In addition, you cannot make such a path with your own hands.

Brick and concrete. You can lay bricks both end-to-end and with a herringbone, checkerboard, even ornaments can be made from multi-colored elements. It is better to choose clinker bricks.

Concrete is a classic of the genre, but it is not solid tracks that look more interesting, but prefabricated ones. Elements can be made in the form of geometric shapes, flowers, leaves, etc. - there are different shapes on sale.

Gravel. Great for winding paths and paths. You can use chips, expanded clay, and round pebbles. Such a path must have a curb.

Plastic molds. There are special plastic tiles on sale - they are lightweight, durable and perfect for temporary walkways.

Rubber track. Sold in rolls, sheets and even modular puzzles. Non-slip, long-lasting, available in different colors.

Tennis. This is the material used for clay tennis courts. It contains ceramic chips, clay and lime. After laying, a rather dense surface is formed. Eco-friendly and easy to clean.

Ideas for paths in the country

Unusual shape. If the area is spacious, be sure to experiment with the shape of the paths. A wide, rounded, zigzag, or cut along the edges of the path looks much more interesting than an ordinary straight line.

Graceful patterns. Beautiful ornaments can be laid out from fragments of old tiles or multi-colored stone and pebbles.

If brick or paving slabs are chosen for the construction of the walkway, let the layout be unusual! Checkerboard, circular layout around the central element, herringbone - a lot of options!

Imitation of walkways. Carefully laid and fitted planks resemble a bridge or deck. And to make them stand out better against the background of the environment, they can be painted in your favorite color!

Eco-style. Eco-style is the embodiment of human harmony with nature. What better way to reflect it than a tree? At the same time, deliberate negligence is important: aged or chaotically laid boards, framed unprocessed wooden log cabins go well with lawn grass and small pebbles!

Concrete forms. For most people, forms are associated only with paving slabs. However, with their help, you can make unusual and very stylish paths! Imagine how great trails covered with flowers, geometric shapes or intricate patterns will look on your section! Moreover, they will be strong and reliable!

The beauty of the stone. Natural stone is beautiful on its own, but it has to stand out! The best background for it will be a lawn or small pebbles!

Multilevel paths. Actual solution if the site is located on a slope. Such paths can be used to frame decorative elements - alpine slides, fountains, flower beds.

Emphasis on curbs. Shrubs, low-growing flowers can be planted along the curbs, large stones can be laid out, or simply highlighted with tiles or bricks of a contrasting color.

Bright shades. Tracks like this will surely stand out! Have you always dreamed of having a path paved with yellow bricks or painted in all the colors of the rainbow? - Bring your ideas to life!

Beautiful paths from scrap materials. Craftsmen manage to make stunning paths from old tiles, leftover building materials, and even unnecessary bottles! Trails that seem abandoned or very, very old look colorful.

Stylish and original paths will be not just household arteries, but also a decoration of the summer cottage!

Here are some more ideas for giving.

In this article, we will offer several original ideas for arranging original, beautiful and at the same time inexpensive and convenient garden paths with our own hands, which will become one of the decorations of your local area or summer cottage.

1. Gravel, just gravel

Let's start with one of the simplest and least expensive ideas - creating gravel paths for your garden. The advantages of this option include a wide selection of fractions and shades, as well as the ability to get by with a minimum of cost and effort.

In the case of arranging such a path, you will have to take care of the presence of a curb or other limiter so that the gravel remains within the boundaries of the path.

In this case, a sufficiently large area was covered with gravel between neat flower beds, where not flowers grow, but vegetables

2. Large stones or slabs on gravel

A somewhat more costly, but also more comfortable and original option is to lay out a path of flat stones or concrete slabs, and fill the space between them with the same gravel.

Large slabs of stone or concrete will form the basis of the path, and so that grass does not break through between them and the path looks more attractive, the space is covered with inexpensive gravel

Stone slabs on gravel can be scattered in any, most chaotic order - so the path will look even more unusual

3. Stones and lawn

If you don't mind green grass, let the lawn grow freely between the stone slabs of the walkway. This combination of greenery and stone will look very natural and harmonious in the garden.

Stone slabs literally "grow" into the green lawn, becoming an integral part of the garden

Why destroy the lawn, if you can create just such a beautiful path, which will be no less convenient to walk on than on ordinary paths completely lined with tiles

One can confidently say about such a path made of massive stone slabs - “made for centuries”. And the moss growing between the slabs gives it a natural look, as if the path appeared on its own.

4. One tablet, two tablets

As a result, it may not turn out a ladder at all, but a comfortable garden path. Just remember to process the wood, which will have to withstand moisture and temperature extremes.

It is not necessary to use fairly expensive ready-made boards, you can purchase ordinary pallets that are very inexpensive. It remains only to disassemble them, process the resulting boards with a special composition and lay out the track

Another plus of such a garden path - if necessary, replacing one of the boards will not be difficult.

5. Boards and gravel

It is not at all necessary to lay out solid flooring from wooden planks. You can use gravel and create a harmonious combination of stone and natural wood.

You can put different gravel between the boards - large, medium, small, it all depends on your desire

By the way, with the help of boards and gravel, you can also create stepped paths in areas with uneven terrain.

6. Pebbles

An ideal option for those who want to transfer a piece of the sea beach to their garden - pebbles. You can lay out unusual compositions from it or just fill up the track, be sure to take care of the limiters.

A very beautiful version of the pebble path. Children will especially love jumping from one laid out piece to another - a real playground

It will be pleasant to walk along such a path barefoot, imagining yourself on a pebble beach somewhere on the Black Sea coast.

7. Wooden cuts

If the boards seem too trivial to you, or you just recently got rid of a large tree cluttering the site, you can use wooden cuts to create a garden path. The beauty of natural wood does not need additional decorations, but you will have to protect it from external influences.

Wooden cuts can be of different sizes - this combination will look just as good

Of course, finding large wood cuts will not be easy. However, smaller round pieces can also be laid out in this way - on top of each other, in steps

8. Planks and grass

As with stone slabs, green grass can be allowed to grow between the planks. Experts note that planks lying on gravel last longer, but your garden will look like a corner of almost untouched nature with a lot of greenery.

Old planks on a green lawn are both a retro option and a very natural part of a garden that has retained its natural charm

9. Stone mosaic

This option for arranging a garden path will require a considerable investment of time and effort, but the result will be so beautiful, durable and original that it will pay off all the efforts.

From pebbles, large and small stones, you can create amazing garden paths, real mosaic panels

Such a mosaic is laid out on concrete or sand. If you decide to lay stones on the sand, you can additionally secure them with wood glue so that the paths last long enough

The process of laying out such a stone mosaic is very painstaking, it requires attention to each pebble.

10. Mosaic from broken ceramic tiles

Anyone who has made repairs using ceramic tiles at least once will have unclaimed pieces. Do not rush to throw them away - with the help of a bat or tiles cut into pieces, you can create a beautiful and reliable garden path.

From pieces of the most different broken tiles, you can create garden paths that will definitely be one of a kind

Small pieces of tiles can be used to create small individual panels

11. Plastic covers

A very interesting option for arranging garden paths. The more plastic covers you have in different colors, the prettier and brighter your garden path will turn out to be.

Plastic is not afraid of moisture and temperature changes, so such covers can be called an unusual, but quite suitable option for creating garden paths

The only thing that can delay the implementation of such a project is the need to collect a sufficiently large number of plastic covers. Although, if you turn to friends, acquaintances and neighbors for help, it will not be difficult to cope with this task.

12. "Vegetable" concrete slabs

Concrete is a truly versatile material from which amazingly beautiful things can be made. To create a garden path from unusual concrete slabs, you only need cement mortar and an ordinary large burdock, which you will definitely find without any problems under the nearest fence.

It turns out that even a child can make such a garden path! So you can handle it for sure

These are the concrete mugs you should end up with.

13. Mold for casting

Special forms for creating garden paths from concrete can be purchased today in many hardware stores. With their help, you will be able to arrange comfortable paths with your own hands throughout the garden or the local area.

The appearance of your garden path will depend on the chosen shape.

You can add color to the solution and your track will sparkle with all the colors of the rainbow

14. Terrace board

Of course, this option can no longer be called cheap, because a ready-made decking is very expensive. However, such a track will not only look beautiful, but also respectable, and will last for many years without losing its original parameters.

A deck or deck plank walkway is one of the most expensive options

Larch deck board will be cheaper depending on the type of material

15. Brick

Remember the girl Ellie who walked with her friends along the yellow brick path to Goodwin? Why not transfer such a fabulous path to your garden, creating a solid and beautiful brick path with your own hands.

The brick for the walkway can be chosen in different shades, and the process of laying it is similar to paving slabs.

The most economical option is to create a garden path from old brick left after dismantling the outbuilding.

16. Paving slabs

It seems that there is nothing original in this idea. Indeed, at present, paving slabs have become one of the most popular options for arranging garden paths. But tiles are different! The variety existing today allows you to create original patterns from paving slabs and turn garden paths into a masterpiece of landscape design.

And in this case, the paving slab path is surrounded by areas covered with gravel.

As you can see, there are many options for arranging garden paths, and you can choose very inexpensive, if not free, options involving the use of such "improvised" materials as wood cuts, old bricks and plastic covers. Choose an idea that you like, implement your options and let your paths on the site be the most beautiful!

It is difficult to imagine a summer cottage or suburban area without garden paths. They serve not only for convenient movement between different objects, but also perform a decorative function, emphasizing the style of the territory and dividing it into zones. A real delight awaits those who want to improve their site, because materials for creating garden paths mass: expensive and affordable, natural and artificial, purchased and at hand, any shades and textures. There really is plenty to choose from, but do not forget to take into account not only attractive material appearance but also his performance.

Each of the many possible materials is used in garden plots, since the requirements for paths and their style are different for each. If the track will serve for the constant movement of people and goods, then the coating should be as strong, durable and easy to clean as possible. In other cases, you can choose less durable and more decorative materials.

# 1. A natural stone

Natural stone can be called the most versatile material. It harmoniously fits into any garden plot and can serve as its decoration for many years.

Main advantages:

disadvantages:

• heavy weight, which complicates transportation and installation;
• high price.

In addition, on some types of stone (granite, marble) an ice crust forms in cold weather making it difficult to move along the garden path. The only way out of this situation is to arrange right under the path, but not every summer resident will decide on this.

The type of surface and color of the stone depends on the breed. The material can be rough or smooth to a shine... The range of colors is wide: from light species to dark red and almost black. Any natural stone is an expensive material, but the cost of different species is very different. TO the cheapest materials include sandstone and limestone. Marble, granite, basalt, porphyry are already more expensive materials.

For the arrangement of garden paths, the stone can be used in a natural raw form(quartzite, shale, sandstone, granite, gneiss) or succumb additional processing to achieve the best performance and decorative qualities (basalt, gabbro, diabase). River and sea pebbles are also often used unprocessed.

A beautiful natural relief and roughness of the surface of the stone will decorate the site, but it is important to remember that it should be convenient to move along the path, therefore it is better to choose a stone that has at least one of the sides is more or less even... Porous rocks, which include tuff and limestone, can accumulate moisture, therefore, it is better to treat their surface with water-repellent solutions every 2-3 years.

# 2. Paving slabs and paving stones

One of the most common options for organizing a garden path is still. These two materials are similar in composition, and the difference lies only in geometric dimensions: with the same length and width, the paving stones will be thicker.

Tiles are suitable for a garden plot with a thickness of 50-60 mm, since there are no special loads on the tracks. Paving slabs can be made from different materials, and for organizing a garden path, the following types are best suited:

• concrete tiles... It can be produced by vibrocompression and vibration casting. The first turns out to be more durable, but has the simplest forms, can be used to arrange paths along which cars will move. Vibro-cast concrete slabs are distinguished by a wide variety of shapes and are quite a bit inferior to their vibropressed counterpart in strength;
  
• clinker paving It is made from plastic clay, quartz and feldspar, so it is not inferior in strength to natural stone. To obtain a rough, non-slip surface, sand is added to the mixture. Clinker paving paths will be durable and very beautiful;
  
• natural stone tiles- the most expensive and chic option, will complement a spacious suburban area. This is actually the same natural stone, but split into pieces of the required size, polished and polished;
  
• polymer sand tiles made from sand and dyes with the addition of polymers. As a result, a material of excellent performance is obtained, but its appearance still betrays the presence of polymers in the composition, therefore, such a tile is hardly suitable for arranging a site in a classic style, but in all other cases it will allow to obtain a durable and durable coating of paths.
  

Among the main advantages paving slabs durability, frost resistance, strength, resistance to negative atmospheric factors, a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Tiles can be laid in a variety of ways. This explains the wide popularity of the material.

No. 3. Concrete

No. 5. Asphalt

Asphalt pavement, due to its low aesthetics, is used for those paths that lead to and are located in inconspicuous parts of the garden area.

Advantages:

• low cost of opening;
• ease of care;
• high strength and moisture resistance;
• asphalt can be of several shades (except for dark gray, there are green and red).

The main disadvantage is not the most attractive appearance, but even this disadvantage can be dealt with by rolling pebbles or other pretty pebbles into the asphalt pavement when laying. In summer, when the ambient temperature rises, asphalt can soften and give off an unpleasant odor... Cracks may appear on the coating, but this often occurs due to irregularities during the installation process or when laying took place under inappropriate weather conditions.

No. 6. Wood

Wood is another natural and beautiful material that can be used to create original garden paths. Wood can be used in the form or cuts . The latter option will become an original decoration of the site, especially if you use cuts of different diameters and arrange them in a certain order.

Advantages:

disadvantages:

• low moisture resistance, high probability of development and fungus;
• low durability and the need for constant care. Not only does the wood need to be treated with antiseptic agents before installation, but during operation, the material will regularly need to be treated with protective agents.

To minimize disadvantages, it is better to choose the strongest and most durable rocks. The best way -... Its wood has moisture resistant properties, is durable, with a beautiful pattern and a pleasant smell. You can also use oak- the leader in strength, hardness and durability, but it will cost much more. As a last resort, you can use the wood of cut garden trees, but you have to work hard to process it.

In order for the wooden path to serve as long as possible, you need to carefully consider the process of its arrangement. It is recommended to lay a plastic wrap on the sand pillow, which will reduce the contact of wood with the soil, reducing the risk of rot. It is better to leave small gaps between the saw cuts or boards: firstly, all the water will go into them, secondly, they are needed in case of expansion of the wood, and, thirdly, if you fill up the cracks with sand, grass can germinate in them, and this decoration of the track.

No. 7. Garden parquet

Garden parquet, often referred to as anti-slip, is a coating that has all the benefits of wood, but due to special processing, it is more resistant to negative atmospheric influences. For material production use hardwood, which can additionally undergo heat treatment. The finished material is in the form of square (less often rectangular) strips, divided into sections. The sections can form a specific pattern.

The planks of the garden parquet must have ventilation slots, the size of which ranges from 1.5 to 8 mm: the higher the humidity level during operation, the larger the gaps should be. The surface of the material has anti-slip profile, so the decking can be used to arrange tracks around. Installation involves the use of special supports, the height of which is adjustable, which makes it possible to smooth out the differences in the level of heights on the site. The type of fastening depends on the substrate of the garden package. Hard parquet has an all-wood backing made of the same wood as the front. Soft parquet It is distinguished by the presence of a soft lattice plastic backing with special fasteners, thanks to which such material is mounted very quickly and easily.

Advantages:

• durability. Due to the use of durable wood species and their processing with special substances (sometimes heat treatment is used), a high service life of the material is achieved (up to 50 years);
• high strength;
• environmental friendliness;
• beautiful appearance, because the color and texture of the wood are preserved;
• the presence of an anti-slip profile;
• resistance to decay and moisture;
• ease of installation and maintenance;
• warm surface and quick drying.

There are not so many disadvantages to the material. For a longer preservation of appearance and performance, garden parquet is better treat with special oil twice a year. If the choice fell on decking made of heat-treated wood, then the material will cost several times more, but it will also last longer.

For organizing garden paths can also be used decking made of wood-polymer composite... It is made from a mixture of sawdust or wood flour with a polymer binder, to which a dye is added and the material of the desired shape and size is formed. It is less environmentally friendly, but more resistant to external factors material that does not require additional care.

No. 8. Plastic tiles

For the production of plastic tiles, polypropylene or polyvinyl chloride is used. The material has, as a rule, a square shape with dimensions of 30 * 30 cm and a lattice structure. It fits due to the presence of special grooves on each element. Some samples are completely stuck into the ground, so they can be used to organize temporary tracks.

Main advantages:

• ease of installation;
• resistance to moisture and sunlight;
• frost resistance;
• non-slip surface;
• light weight.

Among the shortcomings of the material low aesthetics and durability... Plastic tiles are ideal for organizing paths up close.

No. 9. Ceramic tiles and porcelain stoneware

No. 10. Filled paths made of gravel and bark

The easiest way is to equip a track from a bulk coating, which include gravel, stone chips, and bark... There is no need to align and verify anything - you just need to pour the material where the track should go. Gravel is placed on a prepared base in several layers, each of which is carefully tamped with a roller or vibrating plate. It will not be superfluous to use it under the fill in order to exclude the possibility of grass germination.

Advantages:

disadvantages:

• low strength. Gravel will not withstand decent loads, but it is suitable for walking, so the material can be used for arranging secondary paths;
• difficulty in leaving, because gradually the gravel is overgrown, clogged, and it is impossible to sweep it;
• at first, until the material is very tamped down, it will be difficult to walk on it.

You need to be prepared that over time you will have to add new gravel, and it will be impossible to do without it, because they give shape and prevent the spread of material throughout the site. To prevent grass from growing through the gravel, the soil under it can be treated with herbicides or covered with agrofibre.

Alternatively, you can use expanded clay gravel- an environmentally friendly material obtained as a result of processing clay rocks. It is lightweight, has good frost-resistant properties, and is inexpensive.

Filled paths can be equipped using tree bark... This is a natural and pleasant material for walking, but it will have to be added periodically, as it is easily blown out by the wind. The same applies to pine nut shells, which have recently also been used in landscape design.

No. 11. Tennis

The red and yellow material used on tennis courts has recently begun to be used for garden paths. Tennis consists of clay, crumb and lime... After laying, the material absorbs water and swells, forming a dense solid structure, it must be compacted with a vibratory roller.

Main advantages:

• soft and non-traumatic surface;
• high strength;
• ease of care;
• ability to absorb moisture;
• environmental friendliness.

Flaw- the formation of dust and cracks during a drought, therefore, in the heat, the paths will need to be watered periodically. Sometimes you have to add and re-tamp the coating.

No. 12. Cobblestones

In the garden, you can create a real pavement from large rounded smooth stones... Such a path will look excellent, the material is no more difficult to lay than brick, and interesting patterns can be created from the cobblestones. The material is highly durable, durable, resistant to temperature extremes, not afraid of moisture, but will not be suitable for arranging driveways. Cobblestones can be combined with pebbles.

No. 13. Grass

The track can even be created from grass covering, however, not ordinary, but resistant to trampling. Such a path will require additional efforts to take care of it, but it will become a non-standard decoration of the site.

Advantages:

Minuses:

• constant care;
• even the most stable coating will be trampled over time.

It is better to make the grass paths wide so that they trample more slowly. Of course, grass is not a material for main paths, it is better to use it where the traffic is low.

No. 14. Materials at hand

A garden path can be set up with a minimum of cost, and sometimes even use unnecessary materials that are usually thrown away as a basis. As a result, original paths are obtained, and their creation turns into an interesting creative process. You can use river pebbles, plastic bottle caps, wine corks and any other materials.

The choice of material for garden paths should be preceded by a planning stage, during which the location of the path, its shape and function are determined. Considering these factors, as well as the climate and terrain conditions, you can proceed to the selection of the most suitable material.

Provides for the creation of tracks. Moreover, the requirements for them are quite serious: they must be reliable, comfortable, functional, beautiful and, very desirable, inexpensive. We will talk about how to make garden paths with your own hands at low cost in this article.

What to make tracks from

Track coverage can be hard or loose. The following materials are used to create a hard coating:

• Concrete... Concrete walkways are more than just plain gray tape. In addition to the fact that there are dyes and, if desired, you can decorate it. There are also molds for pouring in place. It turns out homemade paving slabs. Another option is to pour small concrete slabs of the required size on your own, then put them on the bedding. For examples of design, see the photo.

  And everyone on the farm has molds for such a path - cut water bottles into cylinders, place them as needed and fill them with a solution: nice and cheap
  And this is a concrete track with expansion joints. If you look closely, you can see that stripes are applied across. This is so that the wet surface is non-slip.

• Flagstone. This is a natural stone that has been cut into plates. It is laid on a prepared base (more on this later), the gaps are filled with backfill. It turns out beautifully, reliably, non-slip. It is not for nothing that it is stone paths made of limestone that landscape designers are so fond of.

  Backfill is one of the important elements that shape the appearance

• Brick. Ordinary ceramic bricks are a beautiful material, but not for paths. It absorbs moisture, if it then freezes wet, it is torn to pieces. If you are going to make a path from broken bricks, then it is more or less normal to walk along it only for a couple of years. Then you have to redo it. The resulting cracks will need to be covered with coarse sand or fine gravel. Clinker bricks will serve much longer on the path, but this option cannot be called low-cost: the cost of one piece is from several tens of rubles.

  These are two types of bricks - ceramic and chipped from granite Clinker brick walkway - beautiful, you won’t say anything ... but maybe too beautiful for a garden?

• Wood... Such a seemingly unsuitable material, but with proper processing, it can serve for a long time. Moreover, many self-made wood paths can be classified as low-cost. For example, they came up with the idea of ​​using hemp and tree cuts as curbs or coverings. They also make the flooring from well-processed boards - better terraced, but if not, it will work from the old floor as well.

  Combination with pebbles - it is comfortable to walk And this is how to make a path from boards

• Plastic. There are tiles for garden paths made of plastic - polyethylene or polypropylene. It has a square shape and a system of locks that is attached to one another. It can be laid directly on top of the lawn or previously trodden in the country or on a section of paths. This is an option - fast and cheap. It can definitely be called "Low Cost". It is better, of course, to make a dump of rubble and sand according to the rules, and put plastic elements on top. This is already a little longer and more expensive. There is also an immodest, but very beautiful version of plastic tiles for paths. There is also "garden parquet". These are slabs or boards made of wood-polymer composite - WPC (they are in the photo, they look exactly like parquet). This material has appeared relatively recently. It looks and feels like wood, but in fact it is a mixture of wood flour and polymer. These are very beautiful coatings, but their cost is by no means modest. Although not fabulous.

  This is garden parquet. Gorgeous, but immodest

• Pebbles. These are rounded natural stones that can be found on the banks of rivers or lakes. Flatter stones are more suitable for making paths. There are different shades of gray, black, white, sometimes you can find burgundy. From these stones, laid close to one another, mosaic paths of amazing beauty are obtained. But this is an occupation for the diligent and persistent. Those who lack patience can find large flat boulders or large pebbles and place them in the sand. It is not that luxurious, but it is no less reliable. You can do the same with granite or other similar stones. It is important that at least one face is relatively flat. Put this flat part up, bury the rest. The work is not easy, but it will be possible not only to walk on the path, but also to ride.
• Materials at hand. Country paths are made from old tires and bottles.

There are also paths with a poured surface: gravel or crushed stone. Their peculiarity is that with a small layer of 2-3 cm and with sufficient compaction, it is convenient to walk on them. If the layer is slightly larger, bumps are formed when walking, and such walking is tiring. Therefore, as you have seen in many photographs, gravel and crushed stone are used as backfill, in which rigid elements from other materials are laid. If done correctly, this is convenient: gravel conducts water well and puddles do not form. Those who do not like gray can be advised to paint it: many designers do this when organizing rockeries.

How to make garden paths with your own hands

It is not enough to know what you can make garden paths with your own hands. You also need to know how to make them right so that she will serve more than one season or two. Laying different materials may differ slightly, but there are several rules and procedures that are repeated in any technology.

First rule: when laying or shaping the pavement of the track, it is done with a slight slope. If the material allows, a slope of several centimeters is made on both sides of the center. If, for example, a concrete path is poured, then the slope is formed in one direction - from the house, if it is nearby. The slope is made towards the lower part of the site if the track is located on a slope.

Second rule: any coating requires preparation of the base. If you put stones (for example) directly into clay or loam, it will certainly be useful - it will definitely be more convenient to walk, but the stones will “silt” after a while. They will simply be trampled into the clay. With a bedding device, this will take much longer. And if you also make a drainage pillow and a side, water drainage will be even more efficient, and everything will look even more beautiful.

Third rule: The pavement level should be a couple of centimeters higher than the adjacent area. Then the water will quickly drain, it will be more convenient to clean, and cleaning will be required less often: the washed out earth will not flow either during rains or during watering, which is often done along the paths.

Step-by-step instruction

When making garden paths with your own hands, start with the markings. In theory, the dimensions and shape should be plotted on the site plan, and the markup should take place according to the project. But more often than not, everything is done in place. To make the future track more clearly visible, its contours can first be covered with white sand or something similar. If the shape suits you, you can drive in the pegs and pull the twine between them, but you can also work on dumping.

A flower garden or flower bed can be placed along a beautiful path. Read how to do them.

Do-it-yourself beautiful pebble path

If with flagstone, paving stones, bricks, everything is more or less clear - everyone has already seen and more than once how this is done, then it is not clear how to lay pebbles with patterns.

Below is a photo report on the process of making pebble paths. The main techniques are visible on it: lines are applied to the leveled sand, along which pebbles will be laid out. If these are arcs, they are made with a thread and two sticks / nails.

Picking up stones, they are laid out on the edge close to each other, slightly sinking them into the sand.

A board is laid on the folded pattern, a rubber mallet is taken and knocked on the board, hammering pebbles into the sand. This is how the entire drawing is deepened, making sure that the edges of the pebbles are at the same height.

Stones "sink" into the sand

Take a mixture of sand and cement (sand 2 parts, cement 1 part) and fill in the gaps, leveling the layer with a brush.

A fragment of a pebble path is carefully poured with water so that the backfill does not blur. Wait several hours for the cement to set a little, then remove the excess with a soft brush.

It is important not to miss the moment: the solution should not get dirty, but also become a stone. If you pick it up with your finger, it should crumble. It's time to clean off the excess.

A path from wooden hemp and gravel: video

Old logs or trees can be turned into a beautiful path. They are cut into blocks of the required length, the face cut is ground, all the wood is first treated with a bio-protection composition (you can soak it with used oil). After drying, they are dipped in Kuzbass lacquer and dried again. Then the front parts of the hemp are covered with paint of the desired color - which will protrude outward. They dry it again and only then put it in the sand.

The process is described in detail in the video. It explains step by step how to make garden paths out of hemp or logs with your own hands.

We make a concrete path on our own

The process is generally similar to the one described at the beginning. There are some differences, which we'll talk about.

After the trench has been dug and the bottom is leveled, formwork is installed along it on both sides. These are boards from 25 mm thick (thicker is possible, thinner is undesirable, you can use plywood with a thickness of 16-18 mm). Their height is the height of the track. If you are molding a slope, the boards should be set taking into account it - one side a little higher, the other a little lower.

The formwork is set to a level - concrete will be leveled along it

To make the formwork, pegs are driven into the ground with a step of no more than 60 cm. Boards are nailed to them. It is better to smear the inner surface of the formwork with waste or other oil: so that it can be removed easily. Further, crushed stone is poured onto the bottom and rammed. But it is necessary to tamp thoroughly: if you walk along the bottom, there should be no traces.

Further, in order to prevent the path from cracking, a metal reinforcing mesh is laid on the crushed stone. Bar thickness - 4-6 mm, step 5-10 cm. It is sold in pieces, they must be tied together with steel wire.

Then, to compensate for the expansion in winter, you need to put wooden planks 1.5-2 cm thick. They are placed across the path, set so that the height of the planks is level with the formwork boards. Compensation strips are set at least every 2 meters. More often it is possible, less often it is not. Why do it more often? For beauty. Squares look better than long rectangles.

A concrete solution of a grade not lower than M-250 () is poured into the finished frame. For him, take 1 part of cement, 3 parts of sand, 4 - crushed stone. Everything is mixed into a solution of medium fluidity (thick sour cream) and poured into the formwork. When pouring, make sure that no air bubbles remain. To remove them, the solution is pierced with a pin, slightly shaking it - they are bayonetted. Ideally, there is a surface concrete vibrator - it quickly compacts the mortar, creating a perfectly flat surface. If it is not there, you will have to level it with the rule, using the edges of the formwork as beacons.

After a few hours, after the concrete has set, the surface can be processed. It can be left as it is, you can brush it over it with a stiff brush, making transverse strips, you can finally put pebbles, stones, flagstone, etc. in a not completely hardened solution. It is not very economical, but reliable. After a couple of days, the formwork can be removed, and you can already walk along the path.

Budget tire track

What is not done from car tires:, swings, and ... tracks. It's simple: you need to cut off the sidewalls of an old tire, leaving only the tread. How can you cut it off? Grinder. Someone contrives with a knife, but this is only if the cord is not metal.

The projector is cut across to form a path. Then cuts are made on the sides of 15 centimeters - depending on the diameter of the tire. They will make it possible to unfold the rubber.

Make cuts at the folded edges - the surface is still non-linear

In this form, it can already be laid on the beds. Will serve for many years. This one is like a low-cost garden path.

Such a coating will withstand many years of active use.

As you understand, there are a lot of options for how to make garden paths with your own hands. It is impossible to tell and describe about all of them, but we are trying ...