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Paths in the garden have always been part of the landscape design, even if it was a tiny plot of 5 or 8 acres. They should be comfortable, beautiful and functional. But when it comes to the garden and the passages between the beds, most summer residents only dream that they are not overgrown with grass, and that the paths would not have to be endlessly weeded.
In fact, work in the garden should not only bring edible fruits in the form of vegetables and berries. It should also bring joy from the process itself, otherwise very soon it threatens to turn into a difficult and unbearable duty. Since people spend a significant part of their time in gardens, the place where they are should be convenient for all work: watering, weeding, pruning, feeding. As a rule, it is the aisles between the beds that are the main workplace of any gardener. And to equip them so that it is as convenient as possible to be there is no less important than to equip the beds themselves.
Permanent beds
The largest selection of options for preventing grass from growing on the paths exists if you have a stationary garden with high beds, made, as they say, for centuries.
Any building materials that can be fixed on the basis of concrete are suitable for this: paving slabs, bricks, stone chips, stone tiles and others. You can also cast concrete paths using both ready-made molds and home-made formwork.
Such a garden will look very aesthetically pleasing, but most importantly, you can easily move along such paths in any inclement weather, it is easy to remove all kinds of garbage from them and no weeds grow on them.
If all of the above seems too time consuming for you or you are afraid of high material costs, then the easiest option would be to make paths for the garden from crushed stone. This is the least expensive material, which at the same time looks very beautiful in the aisles between the beds. It is only necessary when preparing the paths to first mow all the plants to zero, and then cover the passages with geotextiles. Only after that, crushed stone can be poured on top. In this case, germinated weeds do not threaten you on the paths.
Shelter paths for a mobile garden
No matter how good stationary beds are, many have not yet decided to link the fate of their garden with such structures and, in the old fashioned way, dig up the entire territory of the garden every autumn, including the paths between the beds. Others, using the same beds year after year, still prefer not to build concrete paths, since in this case changes in the layout of the garden plot become almost unrealistic. Nevertheless, both of them want the passages between the beds not to be overgrown with grass, not to dirty their shoes, and it would be convenient and comfortable to work on them.
Therefore, the question “how to lay the paths between the beds from weeds?” rises in all its intensity.
Finished goods
At the moment, with a variety of gardening products, manufacturers could not miss such an important issue from their sphere of attention. Therefore, on sale you can find quite a variety of types of coatings specially designed for these purposes. Of interest are special rubber tracks, which are available in different colors and sizes. They are frost-resistant, moisture permeable, do not rot and at the same time have a non-slip surface. Paths are a wonderful ready-made material that protects against weeds. According to the manufacturer, rubber tracks have a service life of 10 years with year-round use.
A good and inexpensive option when arranging paths between beds would be to use black agrofibre. In order to prevent the growth of weeds and to extend its service life, it is advisable to cover it with sand, sawdust or tree bark from above.
Walkways made from natural materials
A variety of natural materials are easy to use, they cost nothing, and the tracks made with them look neat and practical. In addition, when they serve, they are easy to dispose of along with the beds.
- The idea of covering the aisles between the beds in the garden with straw, fallen leaves or mowed grass is very popular among gardeners, especially in rural areas. This can be a very good option, but in order to prevent weeds from growing, it is necessary to make a minimum layer of such mulching of 10 cm.
- One of the most common options for covering paths in the garden is to sprinkle them with sawdust. It must be remembered that sawdust, especially from conifers, tends to acidify the soil. Before sprinkling sawdust on the tracks, it is advisable to leave them to rest for a year. If there is a desire to use them immediately, then treat with urea and ash. This will help reduce the possible negative effect of placing them on the aisles between the beds.
- An even more aesthetic type of natural materials for falling asleep paths is tree bark. If it is placed on top of any flat coating (film, fabric, cardboard), then even a relatively small layer a few centimeters thick can be used.
- Quite often, an ordinary lawn is sown in the aisles of garden beds. Walking on it is comfortable, and well rooted, it does not allow most weeds to germinate. The disadvantage of this method is the need for regular mowing of row spacings. But cut grass can easily serve as an additional mulch for planting in beds.
- In those places where spruce, fir and pine grow in large numbers, it is possible to use passages between beds of needles and even cones from trees to fall asleep.
- Finally, a fairly simple way to arrange paths impervious to weeds between the beds is to fill them with a thick layer of sand. Place cardboard, magazines or newspapers down before filling the passages with sand. Usually this method is enough for about one season.
Waste tracks
Smart gardeners, thinking about the question “how to make the paths between the beds weed-free and comfortable?”, Came up with many ways to use used things as a protective material or what was left in the house from repairs once carried out.
For example, quite often the paths are covered with ordinary linoleum.
The most original cover for the garden passage is a path made of corks from plastic bottles. It takes a lot of time and patience, but looks almost like a work of art.
Often, pieces of roofing material, glassine, or even old fiberboard are used as covering the passages between the beds. Of course, they do not serve very long, but 2-3 years may be enough. In order not to give weeds a chance, it is important to cover the paths of these materials with overlap.
Interestingly, even old carpets and textile paths are used as a material that protects passages from weeds. After all, it is enough to cut their ribbons of the required width, and a luxurious path between the beds is provided.
Quite often, ordinary boards are used to build paths in the garden. You can simply put them on the ground, or you can build a real flooring out of them. Such paths look very aesthetically pleasing, but slugs and ants love to wind up under the boards.
Conclusion
There is truly no limit to the fantasies and inventions of the gardener, therefore, it is possible that there are many more options for how to arrange paths between the beds in the garden.
