Walk this way – garden pathways to lead your thinking

Paths aren't just a way around the garden without getting you shoes or feet dirty – they can lead your direction, inform the house or garden architecture and add texture – along with colour and form

Gravel, concrete slabs, Bluestone pavers, symmetrical stepping stones, organic-look stepping stones, brick-edging, timber boards – there are so many ways to let your al fresco circulation come to the wider design party.

1. Taming the land

Photography by Jamie Armstrong Photography

A timber deck extends into a dividing boardwalk on this expansive property, parting concrete surfaces. Designer: 'We created large hard surfaces to create scale for the property and most importantly dry areas for the kids to play on during winter when the lawn areas are too wet.'

Luke Robertson, Epic Landscape Design

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2. Step this way

Design and Garden landscapes

Here, the owner requested a private and sheltered space that continued down to a small private lawn – the choice of Terrazzo paving slabs brought safe footing without interrupting the natural flow of the sheltered lawn.

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3. Open expression

Thuilot Associates

This entry sequence is a study in expansion and compression – the pathway, flanked by an infinity-edge water feature, is open to the sky, while a long, low steel canopy compresses the exterior entrance space and focuses attention on the vibrant door.

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4. Clear advantage

Donna Stanish, Seed Landscapes

For this stepping stone pathway, a glass gate allows the eye to follow the ‘lavastone’ bluestone steppers to the Karaka and shaded deck, a favourite spot deep within the garden.

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5. Organic and porous

Mark Bell, Bell Landscape

A crushed granite pathway meanders through this garden – the surface chosen because it's 'hard wearing, completely porous and has an organic feel'.

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6. Well rounded

Mint Landscape Design

Crucular pavers leading to an al fresco dining zone add style to this landscaping project – an echo of the driveway car turntable alongside?

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7. Large as life

Olivia Bird Design (OBD)

As the front door was located quite the distance from the entrance gates, the designer used simple forms of large insitu concrete pavers that matched the house form to lead guests down to the entrance.

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8. Passage of time

Charlotte Pedersen, Espaso Verde

Recycling of materials including bluestone tiles and old red brick are combined with gravel and large raw cut bluestone to offer a sense of time and age to this landscape project.

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