Three Cheap (or Free) Materials for Creating a Garden Path
One of the best ways to define a garden space is with a path. Before considering hardscape options like concrete or stone, consider a few cheaper options. Softer options such as wood chips, clover or recycled pavers are better for the garden, easier to maintain and richer in appearance.
Wood chips are an ideal flooring for paths.
There is simply no end to the benefits of wood chips in your garden. They’re easy to get for free , have excellent drainage so they’re easy to walk on even in wet weather, and they nourish the soil as they compost. Use enough of them and they will suppress weeds, and mulch the ground to help retain moisture and soil. The contrast in color of grass, clover, or other ground cover helps define the path. Caring for them is as simple as raking them to keep them level and refilling the path with new wood chips from time to time (I have found that once a year is sufficient).
Start by determining where the path will be, using something long and flexible, such as a garden hose. Remove the grass or other ground cover from the area, then use flattened cardboard as a base to smother any remaining seeds in the ground. Cover with four to six inches of wood chips and smooth it out until it is smooth and level. You can simply walk back and forth on them to install them. Large chips stay in place very well, but you can use garden edging to maintain the lines if you prefer.
Clover creates a luxurious walking path
Everyone always thinks of grass as soft, green garden paths, but maintaining grass is expensive, labor-intensive, and harmful to the soil. Even worse, walking on wet roads is unpleasant. One winter can kill the grass and turn the road to dirt. Use clover instead. It requires no mowing, very little water, and if you use a perennial variety like white clover, it forms an incredibly thick mat that will withstand rain and snow. You can mow it like a lawn if you are a masochist who loves his mower. Otherwise, just let it grow and feed the bees and other pollinators. Clover will spread, so it makes sense to keep it under control with borders.
You can always get recycled pavers for free.
Someone in your neighborhood is trying to get rid of paving stones right now. Check NextDoor, Craigslist or Facebook: I guarantee you that someone is currently tearing down a wall or a chimney or just has a random pile of bricks that was laying around in their backyard and it could be yours for free. Because paths are straight, the bricks and the grid they create can be a powerful architectural feature in your yard. In curved spaces, you can place the bricks straight and then easily cut out the curves of the finished path or align the bricks to the curves using the formula . Either way, you’ll need to dig up the grass or other ground cover and start with a level base of compacted sand. The bricks are then laid, and then the bricks can be backfilled with paving sand, which essentially locks the pavers in place.