A well-designed garden pathway not only adds the aesthetic side of your outdoor space but also provides some benefits such as guiding the way with its path and protecting your plants. There is a crucial thing for a pathway which is the material choices. The material will influence the durability, appearance, and functionality of the pathway. Additionally, choosing the right pathway material should depend on your garden’s style, budget, and practical needs.

Here are the various pathway materials to help you select the best option for your garden.

Natural Stone

The natural stone offers a natural and timeless look. It is also durable and will surely last long. There won’t be any same stone that makes each piece unique. The thing that you should consider when using natural stone is that it is expensive and heavy to transport. Also, it needs professional installation for the best result.

Look at how each stone that this pathway uses has a different shape and uniqueness. It is then installed with indentation so as not to make the pathway look boring. Stone from @backyardbossnet

Concrete

If you have a modern garden or yard, concrete is the best pathway that you can have. It is also durable and needs low maintenance only. You can have the concrete pathway in various shapes and textures just based on your needs and taste.

You can create gaps for the concrete pathway if you don’t want to have the simple common ones. This one is an example of how the gaps are filled with grass so that the impression will be fresh. Concrete from @higginsconcreteconstructions

Bricks

Brick is a classic one! The brick also becomes the durable material choice that you can take for your pathway. You can even arrange the brick to create various patterns such as herringbone, basketweave, etc.

This is an example of how you can arrange the bricks into any design. Look at how you can even apply different arrangements for the border of the pathway. So interesting and great for you to apply your personal taste. Bricks from @constancesgardens

Gravel

Gravel material will be affordable and easy to install. The thing that you should do is just spread the gravel. It also has a good drainage that can prevent the water accumulation. However, the gravel may make it difficult for you to walk on heels or bare feet.

You can see from this pathway that it will be really easy to create a gravel pathway. No need to worry about being boring because each gravel has different colors and details so when all of the gravel is gathered, unique abstract patterns and colors can be created. Gravel from @cascadenaturescapes

Asphalt

Asphalt has high durability. It will also stay durable in any weather condition including rain, snow, and heat. It is accessible for wheelchairs, strollers, and bicycles. However, you consider that this material is not cheap.

With its color and simple design implementation, asphalt can only fit those who want to create a modern pathway design or a minimalist one. If you want to make it not that boring, you can add some details with other materials. Asphalt from @protectpavingsolutions2021

Wood

If you want a farmhouse or rustic impression for your pathway, then the wood material is the best one. It comes in varied forms such as pallets, slices, etc. However, if you want to use the wood material for your pathway, you should make sure to choose the right type of wood teak wood or redwood.

Pallet wood is for those who want to have a minimalist touch in their warm wood material. However, if you want to add a little bit of creativity, you can arrange the pallet wood just like the bricks to create a certain design arrangement. Pallet Wood from @karoo_and_coast

For a more unique impression, you can choose the wood slice rather than the pallet wood. It has a round shape that will be aesthetic and artistic when applied to your pathway. Wood Slice from @balconygardenweb

Material Combination

If using one material only is boring for you, then you can surely combine two or three different materials. It will be interesting especially if you want to create a certain design that needs different shapes and characteristics of the materials. You can combine wood with gravel, stone with mulch, etc.

This one is a combination of red bricks and gravel. The interesting thing about this pathway is how the round shape is created at the end of the pathway. Well, even when the brick is in a rectangular shape, it is still possible to be used in creating a round shape. Material Combination from @taitoneoldbrick