Sloping garden path ideas
NorthernJoe
Posts: 660
We've got a steep slope for a garden. There's paths all the way through it. A mix of gravel, concrete blocks and stone slabs or rocks. There's borders formed into terraces with stone retaining walls and some simple slopes in the upper wildlife garden.
The garden's split into lower more formal and planted garden then a fence and a more natural garden of trees and ground cover plants (except where the large conifers have taken over stopping ground cover plants). The upper garden has level, paths of gravel going across the garden. Then there's paths going up the middle and around the side and curving around the top to rear gate. There's also paths to nowhere. Those paths going up the slope are blocks of stone and concrete with steps. That area is ok as it is.
Lower down there's gravel paths on a slope with some horizontal ones young across the garden. Behind that there's a stone flagged flat path linked to the gravel path with straight stone paths and stone steps in the middle and one side in curved stone paths. The right side has gravel paths in curves with an island of plants and trees, small red leaved tree like an Acer and a larger tree/shrub.
The issue is gravel likes to flow downhill. We're not sure what to do so looking for ideas. My partner suggested decking based paths. I think that's a nightmare in wet autumn or spring rains, slippy in time.
I like gravel but wonder if we could use hard stone to form retaining steps filled with gravel.
Currently the gravel slopes down until it becomes contained to the sides by the retaining walls of the borders and then steps, a bit more sloping gravel and final steps to flagged patio and the house. We don't like the gravel because we're brushing or taking it back up the slope or brushing it from the patio. Plus it's not deep enough and weeds / moss is growing over it. Actually bluebells and moss. Weeding unavoidably removes gravel with the moss.
Any suggestions? Cheap and less cheap as we have a few thousand to spare if needed. Although we're in a new house so money can always find other uses.
The garden's split into lower more formal and planted garden then a fence and a more natural garden of trees and ground cover plants (except where the large conifers have taken over stopping ground cover plants). The upper garden has level, paths of gravel going across the garden. Then there's paths going up the middle and around the side and curving around the top to rear gate. There's also paths to nowhere. Those paths going up the slope are blocks of stone and concrete with steps. That area is ok as it is.
Lower down there's gravel paths on a slope with some horizontal ones young across the garden. Behind that there's a stone flagged flat path linked to the gravel path with straight stone paths and stone steps in the middle and one side in curved stone paths. The right side has gravel paths in curves with an island of plants and trees, small red leaved tree like an Acer and a larger tree/shrub.
The issue is gravel likes to flow downhill. We're not sure what to do so looking for ideas. My partner suggested decking based paths. I think that's a nightmare in wet autumn or spring rains, slippy in time.
I like gravel but wonder if we could use hard stone to form retaining steps filled with gravel.
Currently the gravel slopes down until it becomes contained to the sides by the retaining walls of the borders and then steps, a bit more sloping gravel and final steps to flagged patio and the house. We don't like the gravel because we're brushing or taking it back up the slope or brushing it from the patio. Plus it's not deep enough and weeds / moss is growing over it. Actually bluebells and moss. Weeding unavoidably removes gravel with the moss.
Any suggestions? Cheap and less cheap as we have a few thousand to spare if needed. Although we're in a new house so money can always find other uses.
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Posts
Otherwise, small narrow strips of wood at intervals across the path would hold back the gravel to some extent.
Sorry long winded and too much information. No photos and I've never bothered to learn how to do them on forums. Something to do with setting a photo hosting site up and using the link to the photos on that I think. A lot of hassle when I can simply say...
TL:DR
The path that's got the biggest problem leads up to a flat path towards a little summerhouse and also a nice stobe seating area with a thick yew in bush form in the raised border behind that kind of gives a little protection from wind even possibly light rain but doesn't block the sun until late on.
I'm against using cement and concrete unless unavoidable and then as little as possible? Unfortunately cement and concrete is pretty poor for the environment. I studied it's production as a student and visited a plant. When you have stood under a huge rotary kiln in part of a plant producing cement and the heat coming out is fierce even though it's high over your head and you're outside. Fuel needed and energy spent is phenomenal.
An alternative is to look at a self-binding gravel, though I'm not sure I could guarantee it wouldn't slide eventually. Resin-bound is pricey and needs some upkeep, but it won't move.