with home hub technology

from Bunnings NZ Magazine Autumn 2021

Fix it

Pathway inspiration

Walk this way Everything you need to know to turn an unkempt area into an inviting garden path

Agood-looking garden is never quite complete without a path, whether it guides you to the pool, meanders between flowerbeds or leads you to your home’s entrance. “A path brings you on a journey through your own outdoor environment and is, in fact, an integral part of it,” says Paul Gallagher, senior landscape architect at Mace Landscape Group (macelandscapes.co.nz). “Therefore it should offer direct, practical access within your garden as well as being an aesthetically enhancing feature in its own right.” Here’s how to create your own. }

A border of fragrant rosemary creates a feast for the senses as visitors brush past, releasing its scent

A winding thoroughfare of stepping stones lends a delightful sense of enchantment, and can be a more budget-friendly option than solid paving

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Getting practical Pathways serve a purpose, guiding you from point A to point B, but they should also add a layer of visual interest. To choose the right style, decide why you want it. Do you need a passage from the door to the clothesline? Or do you want to draw the eye to a water feature or a breathtaking view? “Without paths, gardens can feel too open and expansive – which isn’t very inviting to meander around,” says horticulturist Chloe Thomson (@beantheredugthat). “Garden users can be left feeling lost regarding where to walk and how to move through a garden.”

A matter of size Size is important for both practical and aesthetic reasons. Access paths should be wide enough to walk along comfortably, but also consider what you might be manoeuvring along them, such as a wheelchair or a stroller, and plan accordingly. Paths around the garden can be narrower, but do think about whether you’ll be pushing around a wheelbarrow, and give yourself enough room to move. As a general rule, wider paths look nicer, but take a look at the proportions of your home and garden overall and aim for a harmonious effect. If your path is heading for the front door, matching the width to the door area will help to give a seamless look.

“Keep plant centres back from the edge of your path, to avoid foliage draping too far over it and becoming a trip hazard”

Paul Gallagher

Mace Landscape Group

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1 WestStone ‘London’ 230mm x 190mm x 40mm paver in Natural, $2.30, I/N: 0258600. 2 Firth 400mm x 400mm x 80mm grass paver, $12.46, I/N: 0537548. 3 WestStone 500mm-700mm waterworn round stepping stone, $26, I/N: 0200896. 4 WestStone ‘Paris’ 230mm x 115mm x 40mm paver in Blanco, $1.50, I/N: 8901412.

“Think about who will use the path – and how they will use it – when choosing what sort to go for”

Chloe Thomson horticulturist

Pick a path The options are almost endless when it comes to your path’s building blocks. Higher-traffic walkways require a more solid surface, so need more time, effort and expense to install. For cost-effective options, Paul suggests decorative gravel or crushed limestone hoggin. “Note a gravel or hoggin finish will require suitable basecourse and edging,” he adds.

Stepping stones laid in grass or ‘grouted’ with a groundcover plant make a style statement, while recycled bricks laid in a herringbone pattern offer a traditional aesthetic. For a natural appeal, use timber sleepers with a simple mulch walkway and let your thriving garden take centrestage. Bear in mind too that you can use your flooring choice to trick the eye; wide rectangular pavers can make a slender path look broader, for example. }

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Setting a style Look to your home when it comes to finding inspiration for the path’s design. “Your garden path can replicate finishes, tones or proportions inspired by your home’s exterior finishes,” says Paul Gallagher. “For example, you may want to borrow the brick finish from your front fence and add a brick border to your garden path as a complementary detail.”

A contemporary building may inspire neat lines and regular, squared off edges, while a more traditional home might employ a meandering pathway with edges softened by groundcover plantings. However, contrast can often be equally effective – try using curves in the garden to help balance the sharp lines of a modern home, for example. “Crazy paving is a nice way of adding a hard-surface path without being too formal,” suggests Chloe.

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1 TrustWood 2m x 200mm x 100mm H4 MCA radiata pine sleeper, $66.94, I/N: 0232903• . 2 Daltons 7mm-25mm coarse scoria, $7.33/15L, I/N: 0237630. 3 WestStone 6mm-16mm NZ white stone, $12.90/15kg, I/N: 0319813. 4 Daltons ‘No. 4’ ornamental bark, $8.89/40L, I/N: 0253410. Some products are not available at all Bunnings stores, but may be ordered.

Even narrow spaces can become attractive walkways – here, a neat border of trimmed box and a corner vignette of succulents draw the eye

Lomandra

Beautiful borders When it comes to hitting the right style note, your planting choices are key. “For a relaxed feel along your garden path, you may consider loose planting like low, ornamental grasses or plants with similar form or strappy-leafed foliage,” says Paul Gallagher. “Popular plant selections in New Zealand may include lomandra, flowering species like miniature agapanthus or lavender, and native groundcovers like coprosma, creeping pohuehue or panakenake.”

Surrounding stepping stones or timber sleepers with pebbles will create a floating effect, while a hardwood border can be helpful for keeping things tidy and contained in smaller spaces, especially alongside a gravel path.

“There are plenty of edging material options, from hardwood timber lengths, to recycled plastic flexible lengths or lovely rusted steel edging pieces,” says Chloe Thomson. “But not all paths need a formally defined border – go with what suits your garden design and style.”

A border isn’t the only thing to help guide the way. Simple solar lights are an easy low-tech lighting solution, or try smart LED spotlights, installed by a licensed electrician, that can be controlled via an app on your smartphone. ◆

Lavender

Coprosma

Creeping pohuehue

Panakenake

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1 Get Growing 4m x 150mm wired treated garden edging, $28, I/N: 0182286. 2 Philips Hue ‘Lily’ 8W IP65 600lm outdoor spot base kit, $173, I/N: 0087401. 3 Three-rail edging timber, $27.49/900mm, I/N: 0124451. 4 Tuscan Path ‘EZ Edging’ 1.2m x 15cm brick border, $25.97, I/N: 3321737. 5 Matrix ‘Falling Leaves’ 900mm x 150mm garden edging in Charcoal, $9.98, I/N: 3321778. Some products are not available at all Bunnings stores, but may be ordered.