Besides landscaping and choosing furniture for your garden, hardscaping is of great importance, too. Choosing various materials for your garden pathways and walkways is what will give a finished look to your garden. The most popular materials are paver, flagstone, cedar chip and gravel. Gravel is one of the cheapest ways to make a durable path with good drainage; gravel paths are an elegant, versatile and highly durable option for your garden, with minimal maintenance required if laid properly. But besides some obvious advantages, they have some disadvantages, too. Let’s take a look at both to make a right decision.
Pros
Gravel paths are easy to install. When you install a gravel path, you simply dig out the soil, spread the gravel and you’re done: gravel fills in low spots. Gravel is affordable: you don’t have to spend money on extra materials such as sand and expensive stone, tile or brick and it doesn’t cost much. You can cut costs even further by laying a base layer of three inches of crushed rock and laying a few inches of more expensive gravel over the base. Drainage is another advantage of gravel: water drains through it easily, the only exception is heavy clay soil. Gravel materials can also be made from recycled materials for a more sustainable and eco-friendly alternative.
a beautiful Spanish-inspired garden with greenery and gravel pathways, with some trees and vintage furniture
a bright garden with greenery, blooms and gravel pathways is a lovely idea for a relaxed space with a rustic feel
a chic neutral-colored gravel pathway with brick lining in a lush garden is a cool idea that allows drainage
a classic small garden with garden beds lined with bricks and white gravel paths that are manicured and are very neat
a colorful and bold garden with lots of blooms and trees, with gravel pathways and some wooden furniture
a cool garden nook with lots of greenery, a hammock with pillows, a gravel path with metal edging, a basket with blankets
a cool gravel pathway with concrete steps and greenery and shrubs around is a lovely solution for a modern outdoor space
a cozy European style garden with a gravel path, greenery and striped chairs and trees around is amazing
a formal outdoor space with a gravel and long paving stones plus a wooden deck and trees lining the path
a gravel garden path lined with large rocks that help to keep the gravel in place and add a wild look
a gravel garden path with borders will prevent gravel entering your garden beds and other spaces
a gravel garden space with some garden furniture and potted greenery and blooms and lining of bricks
a gravel gardne path lined with bricks to keep gravel in place and make it look neat
a gravel path with large rocks is classics that always works for a garden, which doesn't look formal
a gravel pathway lined by lush greenery and blooms looks like a path ina magical forest
a gravel pathway lined with red bricks is a stylish and timeless idea, and your gravel won't finish on the lawn
a gravel pathway with some reclaimed wood steps, greeneyr and blooms around is a cool idea for a rustic outdoor space
a green garden with trees and grasses and a gravel pathway looks very modern, stylish and eye-catchy
a lovely gravel pathway surrounded with tall grasses and pink blooms is a cool idea for a garden that isn't intended to look too formal
a lovely modern farmhouse garden with greenery and shrubs, with gravel pathways is a cool idea to steal
Cons
Patio furniture doesn’t sit well on gravel surfaces, because gravel doesn’t form a solid base. The legs of tables and chairs can shift down into the gravel, making the table top or chair uneven. Gravel is not comfortable at all on bare feet, even if you use more comfortable rounded gravel, such as pea gravel. While the simple solution would be to simply wear shoes but the gravel can still hurt your feet through common summertime footwear such as flip-flops. Gravel is an inexpensive terrace option, but it also looks inexpensive when you compare it to more finished options such as granite paving stones. The small stones can develop a film of algae, particularly in areas of heavy rainfall. It’s impossible to keep debris such as lawn clippings, fallen leaves, acorns and twigs out of the gravel. The main problem with gravel is that unless you place a good weed-membrane beneath it, weeds will easily grow through.
a modern and a bit rustic garden with lots of greenery and trees, with reclaimed wood furniture and a gravel path plus stone steps
a pretty and cute garden with greenery and blooms in garden beds with brick and rock edges, gravel paths, a former greenhouse turned into an outdoor room
a pretty countryside garden with greenery and blooms, with planters, a gravel pathway and some stone steps
a pretty relaxed garden with greenery, blooms in pots and not only, with a gravel path and some dark wood
a rustic garden with blooms and colorful foliage, with gravel pathways with rock edging, some simple wooden furniture
a small backyard with a gravel path, bold blooms and greenery and garden furniture is a lovely idea
a small cottage garden with a gravel path, terra cotta pots and a basic picket fence painted yellow
a stylish modern garden with green lawn, rocks, moss, trees and a curved gravel pathway with additional stone steps
a very modern laconic garden with gravel pathways and greenery and blooms lining up these pathways
a wild-looking garden with lot sof greenery and shrubs, with potted plants and a stone bench, with gravel pathways
an elegant and chic garden with lots of greenery and green trees, with potted plants and stone spheres is amazing
an elegant and refined garden space with a gravel path and stone steps, sphere bushes and trees around
chic garden pathways with gravel and large paving stones make up a very successful combo
gravel and some stones match the stone cottage and look not too wild yet not too groomed
gravel paths combined with rocks, a stone fountain, greenery and blooms create a look of a wild garden
gravel pathways and brick lined garden beds for a cozy and welcoming garden with a rustic feel
light-colored gravel and potted greenery and trees make up a cool Scandinavian-insppired space
light-colored path gravel will make your garden very welcoming and will make it look very well-groomed
neutral-colored gravel combined with concrete and stone plus lush potted greeenery for a modern garden
pretty pale gravel and stone paving path with a contemporary horizontal slatted fence for a modern outdoor space