Adding a walkway to your North Texas property will enhance the accessibility and functionality of your yard. But with the right walkway design, it will also add valuable aesthetic appeal.
In this article, we’ll talk about landscape walkways and how making the right choices can help enhance your property. There’s more to consider when adding a walkway than people tend to realize.
Everything from the walkway materials to the pathway design plan itself are important decisions that will impact the look and functionality of your walkway. You want to work with a landscape design company that can give you plenty of options.
We will cover:
Understanding the benefits of a walkway design
Choosing the best walkway material for your property
Adding features to enhance your walkway design
Selecting landscape design services in North Texas
We’ll cover some of the important considerations to keep in mind and how to find the best walkway ideas for you.
A lot of times the catalyst for adding a walkway is functionality. You might find that your property isn’t as easily navigated as you want it to be, so you’re thinking about adding a walkway. Sometimes people are also looking to replace an older or outdated walkway because it’s become an eyesore or even a hazard.
Let’s look at all of the benefits of adding a walkway.
There’s no doubt that adding a walkway will enhance functionality. You’re making it easier for people to get from point A to point B on your property.
Walkways are most common in the front yard, where people frequently travel from the driveway to the front door. But walkways can be added anywhere that you want to help people navigate a space easier.
Keep in mind that landscape walkways end up encouraging people to follow a certain path. This is often a popular reason for walkways in the backyard or in a side yard. You might not like guests or family members traipsing through a certain part of your property but would prefer they follow a certain path.
Sometimes we get requests for side walkways where people want to be able to take their trash cans from the side of the house to the front curb, without having to walk through grass, where they might get muddy or wet. There are many practical situations just like this that allow a walkway to be beneficial.
Hardscaped walkways are easier and safer to walk on than grass, making them a popular addition for the purpose of accessibility. Many people are interested in “aging in place,” and want to stay in their current home as long as possible. But the home needs to be safely accessible to make this possible.
Walkways can help achieve this goal.
They are also safer for use with a walker, cane, or wheelchair. Families who have aging family members often visiting…or who are preparing for aging themselves…appreciate these benefits. Walkways can also make it easier and safer to navigate a slope (though steps might be necessary as well).
The walkway material also plays a role. While we love creating crushed granite and gravel walkways, this is not going to be your best option if accessibility is a primary goal. Crushed granite and gravel therefore tend to work best as backyard pathways (that might also double as offering some drainage).
Gravel paths do have a certain element of being less stable for someone with a cane or walker or who might not be completely steady on their feet.
There’s no question that a great walkway design is also going to boost curb appeal at your home. A beautiful walkway is visually attractive. Many people also add landscape enhancements around a walkway like flower beds, shrubs, mulching, and rock gardens.
The material and the layout that you choose for your walkway will also contribute to the aesthetic value. You want to make sure that your walkway is well-designed with a quality material so that it boosts the overall look of your property rather than detracts from it in a negative way.
There are many different materials to choose from when it comes to composing your walkway design. Determining which material is best will mean considering factors like the location, your aesthetic preferences, the purpose of the walkway, and your budget.
Let’s talk about some of the material choices for your walkway design.
Natural stone, particularly flagstone, is one of our most popular choices for a walkway design. This material choice is attractive, durable, and low maintenance. Most of our clients appreciate a natural look that is both timeless and classic.
Pavers are another popular choice for a walkway design as they are highly versatile. Pavers come in a variety of textures, sizes, shapes, and colors and homeowners can choose what they like best or what will work best for their property.
Crushed granite can also make a good walkway choice, particularly for a less formal walkway, such as a path in the backyard. Crushed granite can be highly decorative and look aesthetically appealing but will cost less than manmade pavers or natural stone.
There is also a permeability factor. Crushed granite (or other gravel materials) allow for drainage, which might be useful in a backyard. But this is a loose material and it’s not always going to be the best choice for every walkway design, particularly if accessibility or safety is a primary concern.
We can also create a walkway using a combination of materials. A stepping stone pathway, for instance, might have pavers as the main component but space between them. We often use decorative stones in between larger stepping stones for added appeal.
It also serves a functional purpose as attempting to cut grass between larger stepping stones can pose quite a challenge.
While we do not do many concrete walkways as most of our clients prefer a natural look, this is an option as a walkway material. It is a simple and no-fuss option that is budget friendly.
A walkway by itself can be beautiful, but when you also incorporate other outdoor features around or near your walkway it can enhance your space even more.
Here are a few considerations.
There are also options for borders and edging that can really dress up your walkway design. In many cases, when we add a walkway, we are creating a border with rock or an edging material like benda-board or metal edging.
This helps to create a clean and even more aesthetically appealing look.
Often, homeowners also love dressing up their walkways with accompanying plant beds or decorative stone. If your walkway gets a lot of heavy foot traffic, decorative stone is sometimes the better choice so that plant material does not end up trampled.
Mulching along a walkway is another great way to enhance the overall look and appeal. Edging becomes very important here as it helps separate the mulch from the hardscaping and plays a role of holding it in place.
Walkway lighting is another way to really maximize the use and value of your walkway. The evening hours when it’s dark out are when most walkway accidents would occur. You want to make sure that everyone can see where they are going when walking at night.
Walkway lighting also enhances the beauty of your walkway design.
Your property is unique and requires a unique and customized solution when it comes to property enhancements like a walkway. In order to obtain that, you’ll need to make a wise choice in landscape design services.
You’ll want to choose a skilled landscaping professional.
This means working with a landscaper who will listen to your “wants and needs” while also using their expertise to make suggestions. You want to make sure that you’re not just choosing the type of landscaper who follows a list of orders or is just “checking a box.” Rather, you want a company that thinks outside of the box so that you can get the best possible walkway design for your home.
At Grassperson, we love working on enhancement projects, including adding walkways. We know that they can help make your property more accessible, beautiful, and enjoyable.
If you are on the hunt for landscape enhancement services near Flower Mound, TX to help you upgrade your Texas landscape, we’d love for you to consider Grassperson. We love the opportunity to bring new life to North Texas properties, making them the envy of the neighborhood!
