Planning the perfect path
As with pretty much all landscaping projects, when it comes to creating the perfect path, the secret is all in the planning.
Before you start, sit down with your client or ask yourself about the basics:
- What shape, size and length will the path be?
- What landscaping materials will you use?
- What direction will the path take – meandering or straight?
- What borders could you have?
- What is the quality of the ground where the path will be built?
As well as being attractive, a path almost always has a practical use, so consider if it will require a sturdy foundation to cope with the volume and weight of pedestrians and whether it needs to be wide enough to push a wheelchair or pushchair along.
Step-by-step to the perfect path
When it comes to creating a garden path it can be easy, especially for clients, to focus on the design and visual elements, and forget about the factors that are literally out of sight but which will make a big difference to the end result.
There’s little point creating a beautiful path if it’s going to be overrun with weeds, uneven or falling apart in a few months’ time. So make sure, in the planning stage, that you take into consideration factors such as ground stabilisation, drainage and weed suppression.
Geotextile fabrics make light work of weed control and also offer ground stabilising and drainage solutions. Groundtex, from the Growtivation Product That Works landscaping materials range, is a heavy duty woven geotextile fabric that offers both weed control and ground stabilisation when used as a separation or reinforcement layer.
However, your garden path project may have other variables to take into account, so always ensure you are using the right geotextile fabric to achieve the results you are seeking.
Laying a gravel or mulch path
To lay a gravel or mulch path, first mark the line of the path with string and pins and then dig it out to a depth of around 6cm. Drive pegs along the length of the path, which you can then fix treated edging board to (this should be level with the ground on either side).
Set edging to lie an inch above the fill material, to prevent it from running over on to the lawn and then cover the soil with your chosen landscaping geotextile fabric to deter weeds and prevent the fill material from mixing with the soil.
To get the best from Groundtex as a heavy duty weed control membrane:
Step 1: Make sure your area is well prepared and level, with any sharp objects or vegetation removed.
Step 2: Lay the fabric out, ensuring joints are overlapped by a minimum of 100mm.
Step 3: Secure the edges of the fabric using Extrafix fixing pegs – the best way to do this is by spitting or trenching the fabric 100-150mm into the soil.
Step 4: Cover the fabric with a layer of gravel, bark or other mulch.
Laying an aggregate, stone or block path
Its hardwearing nature also makes Groundtex the perfect pathway membrane to separate and stabilise aggregate, sharp angular stone and block paving.
Step 1: Excavate soil (sub grade) to the required depth (allowing for sufficient depth of sub base, base course layer and surface finish).
Step 2: Lay fabric out and ensure joints are overlapped by a minimum of 300mmm.
Step 3: Secure in place using Extrafix fixing pegs.
Step 4: Lay sub base layer over the fabric and compact it using a roller or compacting plate.
Step 5: Lay base layers, such as bedding sand for block paving.
Discover more about Landscaping Product That Works
Growtivation’s Groundtex weed control membrane and ground stabilisation geotextile is available in a range of roll and pack sizes, from the Mini Roll at 1m x 15m to the Contractor Roll at 4.5m x 100m, which comes folded or unfolded.
To ensure you have all the information you need to successfully use this weed suppressant and ground stabilising geotextile fabric download the Installation Guide, Tech Data Sheet and Brochure.
To find out more about the other weed control and ground control products in the Growtivation Product That Works range download our Landscaping That Works guide.
Or to find out where to buy Growtivation weed control membranes and ground stabilisation geotextiles visit our Find a Distributor facility or contact the friendly team at Growtivation for advice on 0800 197 8885 or email sales@growtivation.com.
