Correctly place the accents of
If you wish to refine your garden plot, the tracks from gravel will become one of the most attractive solutions. Especially relevant are they, if you refuse the device on the site of the ubiquitous green lawn.
These tracks can be decorative and functional, that is, they are designed for walking. However, it should be noted that if the load on them is too intense, it is better to choose another material, for example, clinker tiles.
Garden paths made of gravel, surprisingly reflect the nature of the owner, his taste preferences, emphasize the general stylistic decision of the garden. This is achieved due to the different sizes of the material fractions, its color. Moreover, depending on whether wet or dry gravel is laid, you can focus on the maritime or Japanese style of decorating the garden.
The materials used matter. Specialists identify the most common of them:
- Gallech. It is a small and rounded pebbles, the shape that attached to washing them with river or sea water. A feature of this track is its small thickness( no more than 5 cm), as there is no qualitative grip between fractions, and they "spread out".It would be difficult to walk along such a path with its large thickness.
- Gravel crushed stone. His factions often have an irregular shape, due to which their better grip occurs. Thus, the track made of this material, better keeps the shape and is more convenient for walking.
- Crushed slate. This material is used increasingly to create decorative paths that run near flower beds or shrubs.
Each element of landscape design can be found advantages and disadvantages. Gravel paths, whether decorative or functional, are no exception.
Gravel Garden Tracks - Advantages and Disadvantages
Today, gravel paths are in an intermediate position between a soft and hard surface. They are characterized by many advantages, but they do not lack a number of shortcomings. It is worth paying attention to these nuances in order to avoid unpleasant moments in the future.
So, the creation of this element of the garden saves a lot of time, since there is no need to seriously prepare the soil or pour the base of concrete. The variety of gravel allows you to realize many original ideas of landscape design.
It fits perfectly with most other materials and textured surfaces. So, the path can be decorated with boards, miniature figured columns, stones, cobblestones of various sizes. In addition, gravel is not subject to wear and can last for many years. It does not require special care, remaining almost always in its original form.
All the advantages of the gravel track are successfully supported by the availability of material for its construction and extremely democratic price.
Disadvantages of this material are also available, and you have to decide whether they outweigh the existing advantages or not. Firstly, not everyone will agree to walk on a not too hard surface. Secondly, if you ignore the use of a special substrate when installing this garden element, you will have to struggle regularly with fresh weeds torn to fresh air.
Thirdly, someone can find such tracks too "rustic", not differing in a flash of luxury. You should carefully weigh the pros and cons and decide on your own preferences. Only in this case, every corner of the garden will delight your eyes.
Arrangement of tracks from gravel - the main stages of
It's not so difficult to make a gravel path in the garden with your own hands. It is enough to have at hand the necessary tools, materials and a sketch of this element of landscape design. The device of tracks from gravel includes the following stages:
- Perform markup. For this, wooden pegs and a rope stretched between them are used. This is how the boundaries of the future garden element and its shape are indicated.
- A shallow trench is digging( the "bed").The top layer of the soil is removed to a depth of about 14-20 cm and is digested. So it is possible at first to rid yourself of the removal of weeds and prepare the basis for the path.
- Then the bottom of the "bed" is carefully compacted and filled with a mixture of coarse gravel and heavy clay. As a rule, such a base has a thickness of 10-15 cm. It is an alternative to a sandy-clay cushion. The next day after the installation of such a substrate, it is recommended to water it with water to increase the strength.
- A layer of finer gravel 3-5 cm thick is poured onto the prepared substrate. The surface of the finished track is rammed.
After completing all these manipulations, proceed to decorating the paths of your garden. You can use a curbstone for this. It performs not only decorative functions, but also prevents the scattering of gravel in the sides and clogging of the garden. For this, the stone must be laid not level with the height of the path, but slightly higher.
Specialists recommend to arrange a concrete foundation under the curb. This makes it more stable.
Thus, the use of gravel to create a decorative or functional path in the garden is one of the most relevant and affordable options. It is necessary only to determine in advance with its location, size and type of material.
