Gravel in Front Garden

[gardenermatt]

Hi All,

I'm having a bit of trouble deciding whether to purchase a tonne of gravel for my front garden where I manage my vegetable plot. Before you ask, y plots in the front garden as it's the side that receives the most sunlight!

I have raised beds with wooden surrounds which work well, and am looking to surround them this year with Gravel, to make the walkways between look a lot more presentable.

My local distributor is kicking out some really cheap gravel which i've really grown quite fond of, especially the Moonstone chippings because I think they'll go really well with the colour of the wood on my raised beds.

The problem i've got, is that my house is on a side street which links to the local secondary school, so the pathways can, in a morning, be often overrun and busy with teens from the local school. My bungalow is raised with a raised front garden as it's built upon a hill meaning the gravel (if I were to purchase) is the perfect height for them to reach over and throw it around etc.

Does anyone else suffer from this? Or if not, can anyone suggest a way to avoid this?

Many thanks,
Matt

[bullthistle]

Yes you could find gravel all over your yard. Best with the school to use mortar since most kids don't give a damn about someone else's property but if you beleive all of them are angels then go for it.

[rainbowgardener]

I have no idea how well behaved British school children are or aren't, can't comment about that part. But I find gravel pretty messy in a yard anyway. Without any help from school children, it gets tracked around, buries itself in the ground when stepped on, and generally doesn't stay put very well. You will need to expect to renew your gravel most years.

I prefer wood chips, which also need to be renewed each year, but since I produce my own by chipping up brush that doesn't matter to me. And in breaking down, they feed the soil. Since it is paths, that may not matter to you, but it just feels less sterile to look at as well.

[WildcatNurseryman]

I agree with Rainbow 100%. I did a clean-up today that is entirely "mulched" with gravel and it ends up everywhere, even with the best steel edge and is a real pain in the rear. Very difficult to get and keep clean as well. I would never do any large-scale gravel areas in my own yard for these reasons, but the customer's dogs were the deciding factor for this one.

[joew01]

I like the look & feel of gravel walkways & use them in my projects quite often, not to mention the cost savings over masonry walkways. I usually design these with some sort of edging to help keep the gravel in place.
There are several manufactures in the US that have products that are sprayed onto gravel paths & drives, which bind the aggregate together creating a solid surface without changing the look. The product can also go down lighter if you want a semi loose gravel path. One company that you can google to get more info is "Kling Stone Path" I know they have distributors over seas.
And of course you can always go with a stepping stone path.

[Owl]

I like the look & feel of gravel walkways & use them in my projects quite often, not to mention the cost savings over masonry walkways. I usually design these with some sort of edging to help keep the gravel in place.

What options are there for edging for gravel paths? I intend for the edges to be grown over by plants so I don't mind what it looks like so much, just how well it works at keeping my path in place!

[joew01]

There are many options to chose from. What material is chosen will depend on the style (rustic, country, contemporary etc) of the project, personal taste and budget.
Some of the materials: natural stone curbing, sawn cut curbing, cobble stone, brick, concrete pavers/curbing, wood such as cedar, mahogany, Ipe, steel, aluminum and I am sure there are more. Some of these are secured with stakes, concrete or if very rustic and irregular is fine with you....just dry lay.
I'm attaching a photo of a gravel path project.....I used a 2" thick x 6" bluestone tread material set on edge in concrete......just one option. Hope this helps. [/URL=http://flic.kr/p/9gEBczl]

[joew01]

[rainbowgardener]

you just need to copy and paste the [img] code found under Share > Grab the HTML/BBCode