Down The Garden Path

[GarryP]

I have a patch of garden at the side of the house which is approximately 3 meters wide by 8 or 9 meters from front to back. I originally dug out sand and rubble (it is a house in a new devlopment in Bangkok) to a depth of 40cm and then refilled with topsoil. I threw a few stones down the middle about 40 to 50 cms apart so I could walk across the garden without getting muddied up. Unfortunately, this has not worked. The small circular paving stones refuse to stay in place and after a heavy downfall, mud gets splattered everywhere as the water runs straight off the edge of the roof down into the garden (there is no guttering on the side of the house). I have, thus, decided that I need an uninterrupted path across the middle of the garden underneath the edge of the roof but am not sure how to go about it for the best results. Should I:

1. Dig a trench across the garden down to the sandy rubble base, place bricks or stone on either side of the trench to act as holding walls and then fill up the trench with a decent coarse - or not so coarse aggregate?

2. Dig a shallower trench than 1. above, but follow the same format? This would mean that the aggregate is on top of say 20cms of earth.

3. Clear a very shallow trench, fill in with aggregate or sand and then lay paving stones over the top, with no gaps between?

4. Say "eff it", and just lay paving stones directly on the earth with the only prepping being making sure that they are level, then go inside and have a beer?

Any other reasonable suggestions, would be greatly appreciated.

[farang000999]

gutters seem the most logical solution.

[bankruatsteve]

I don't quite see the picture: do you want a small path or larger? If you just want stepping stones, it seems like a good footing of gravel would take care of that. Another option, that turned out really cool in our place, is to use bricks with a space between them. Then patch in some grass sod (ie; break it up and stick in the "cracks"). After 6 months to a year, it looks like lawn but isn't. Can post photos if anybody interested.

[farangme]

Gutter is the cheap and easy solution. But you still need something too keep the foot stones in place. Try a base of sand between footstones and soil.

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[farangme]

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[Crossy]

Yeah, the gutter option will keep your garden from becoming a quagmire in all but the heaviest rain.

Some sort of hardcore under the stones is also a smart idea, did you keep any of the stuff you dug out, it would probably be ideal

[GarryP]

I don't quite see the picture: do you want a small path or larger? If you just want stepping stones, it seems like a good footing of gravel would take care of that. Another option, that turned out really cool in our place, is to use bricks with a space between them. Then patch in some grass sod (ie; break it up and stick in the "cracks"). After 6 months to a year, it looks like lawn but isn't. Can post photos if anybody interested.

Presently they are just stepping stones.

Interesting idea.

[GarryP]

gutters seem the most logical solution.

Not on the list. Even if there were gutters I would still need to put in a path or sorts. Also, guttering would not stop the rain falling on the ground, it would just catch the water that normally runs off the roof.

Reconsidered. Will get a quote for guttering but still need a garden path.

Edited April 5, 2012 by GarryP

[necronx99]

gutters seem the most logical solution.

Not on the list. Even if there were gutters I would still need to put in a path or sorts. Also, guttering would not stop the rain falling on the ground, it would just catch the water that normally runs off the roof.

Nothing will grow and no landscaping will survive under a roof wash. get a gutter and plant to stabilize the soil. A bucket of gravel will hold the steps after that.

[GarryP]

Gutter is the cheap and easy solution. But you still need something too keep the foot stones in place. Try a base of sand between footstones and soil.

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I have done something very similar to you in "my" tiny front garden, up to and including planting Malaysian grass. However, for the side patch, which is my wife's garden, she does not wish to plant grass even though I have found that it cuts down splattering considerably. However, she who will not be told is determined to make the side garden a grass free veg and herb garden. My job is to create a path near enough down the middle so that she can get from one side to the other without getting to dirty. Easier said than done. Luckily, the land drains quite quickly.

Strangely enough, when they built the townhouse in my new street, the only guttering they did was at the rear of the houses to prevent water falling on other people's property. There is no guttering at the front or at the side of end units like mine.

It would certainly be a bitch putting up guttering now as the roof is so high. You would need to set up a scaffold as ladders would not be high enough. However, as I will be having some additional poly roofing done at the side of the house, I will ask them for a quote for guttering

Edited April 5, 2012 by GarryP

[GarryP]

gutters seem the most logical solution.

Not on the list. Even if there were gutters I would still need to put in a path or sorts. Also, guttering would not stop the rain falling on the ground, it would just catch the water that normally runs off the roof.

Nothing will grow and no landscaping will survive under a roof wash. get a gutter and plant to stabilize the soil. A bucket of gravel will hold the steps after that.

Noted. See above and below.

[GarryP]

Yeah, the gutter option will keep your garden from becoming a quagmire in all but the heaviest rain.

Some sort of hardcore under the stones is also a smart idea, did you keep any of the stuff you dug out, it would probably be ideal

Unfortunately, no. Hindsight is such a wonderful thing.

[Daffy D]

No. 4

[bankruatsteve]

Attaching photo of walkway that used to get very muddy from the spill from house and carport roof. After putting down a layer of sand and the bricks no problems even when flooded. The grass didn't get enough sun and too much water last rainy season though:

The driveway is similar constructed but gets plenty of sun. Now after 11 months.

[GarryP]

Attaching photo of walkway that used to get very muddy from the spill from house and carport roof. After putting down a layer of sand and the bricks no problems even when flooded. The grass didn't get enough sun and too much water last rainy season though:

The driveway is similar constructed but gets plenty of sun. Now after 11 months.

That looks nice but I just need a narrorw path. How do you cut your grass, with shears or a strimmer type device? I imagine it could be quite dangerous with a normal mower if the blades catch on any of the bricks.

[bankruatsteve]

Electric mower has a shroud around the blades that makes it very unlikely to cut anything but grass.

[GarryP]

I did not mean at the sides of the mower, I meant from underneth as until the grass grows fully there could be the odd sharp dip or two. Anyway, never mind.

Your set up would certainly be a hell of a lot cooler than plain concrete or tiles. I definitely like the look but need something quite a bit smaller. A path of only about 40cms wide.

I think that now I have been put in my place about guttering (thanks to just about every poster for that), I will wait until that is installed before moving ahead with the path. Sometimes, I just don't see what is straight in front of my nose.

[GarryP]

Pride swallowed. Advice taken. Guttering is now in place. I went with stainless over galvanized as I do not want to have to replace it four or five years down the road. So now down the garden path again.

[prophet01]

How about giving us a few photo's of the gutter job?

[necronx99]

have you considered astroturf?

very realistic nowdays and no cutting..

[Crossy]

have you considered astroturf?

very realistic nowdays and no cutting..

Be very careful with fake grass. Many of the lower-cost (cheapo) brands are, incredibly, not weather proof and end up bald after decent rain

[GarryP]

Prophet 01, it is a very simple straight gutter down the side of the house. Nothing special.

Astroturf or other such surfaces are not being considered. As mentioned in a previous post, it is going to be my wife's kitchen/veggie/herb garden so a path down the middle is what I need. There is no longer a "roof wash" (necronix' specific vocab - I would have just called it a waterfall or something else inappropiate), so I have more options for the path. I think I will probably go more along the lines of something like farangme, i.e. larger paving stones closer together on sand or fine gravel.

[PBob]

I will have the same problem when we get our new house next week. My solution is to put the veggies in a raised bed, it should also save me some digging.

[GarryP]

I will have the same problem when we get our new house next week. My solution is to put the veggies in a raised bed, it should also save me some digging.

Saves bending down too.