TheFort Myers CityScoop

Landscaping News
Fort Myers, FL

Fort Myers, FL – We Create Beautiful Walkways, Pathways Through Your Landscape

SYNOPSIS: When discussing landscape design, people often use the terms walkway and pathway interchangeably, but there are some key differences between the two. They have different purposes...

We Create Beautiful Walkways Thru Your Landscape

BY: Your Name, Your Business

At Peer Landscaping of Fort Myers, FL one of our favorite hardscape items to create are walkways and pathways. These man-made design features are the ultimate way to provide clear, safe and easy ways for homeowners to walk through their outdoor landscape to get up close and personal with the amazing plants, trees, and flowers Peer Landscaping used in our landscape design. Our goal is you easily enjoy your lovely Southwest Florida landscape year round.

When talking about landscape design, homeowners often use the terms walkway and pathway interchangeably, however there are key distinctions between the two. They have different goals and different characteristics.

Pathways are usually narrow and made of natural materials such as mulch, pine straw, or crushed gravel. Pathways are used typically to blend in with the natural surroundings more, and are often used to showcase a rustic or natural look. Their purpose is to bring together different parts of the garden and they are often used for accessing specific walking areas. They are not usually wide enough for a baby stroller or wheelchair.

Walkways are defined more as a true hardscape, in that they are usually  a wider strip of man-made material such as pavers, bricks, or concrete. More of a design feature unto themselves, walkways can be made to match the style of your home or garden, whether it is traditional, modern, tropical or naturalistic. Walkways provide a safe and simple way to move through the garden as they create a main path through the yard or garden area.

We take many things into account when designing your new walkway, because it needs to be functional as well as beautiful. Here are a few of the key items we consider:

  • Direct Foot Traffic: Nobody wants guests walking all over low-lying plants and flowers in the garden, so walkways are used to direct the flow of people and control foot traffic.
  • Accessibility: A great walkway offers an easy and safe way to navigate through your yard and garden, stopping people from tripping on uneven ground for an example.
  • Create Visual Interest: A well thought-out walkway brings aesthetic appeal to your entire landscape. They can be used to showcase different visually interesting parts of your garden, or to connect different parts of the outdoor space which may also have elements such as a pool or jacuzzi.
  • Durability: We ensure our pathways and walkways are made of the best durable material that can withstand heavy foot traffic and the heavy downpours of rain we get all summer long here in Florida.
  • Garden drainage: We can create walkways that guide channel water away from certain parts of the yard to help stop the erosion or damage running water causes.
  • Low maintenance: We strive to create walkways that are simple for you to maintain and to keep clean all year long.

The Most Popular Walkway Materials in Florida

The materials Peer Landscaping of Fort Myers choose together play an important role in the look and feel of your garden walkway or pathway. At Peer Landscaping we try to choose materials that fit the aesthetic of your home and landscape. Formal landscape and house designs go better with a hardscape walkway built of brick, pavers or slate stones. Materials like gravel, mulch or pine straw elevate the look of a more naturalistic or organic pathway.

Here in Southwest Florida, there are a few common materials used for building walkways. Here’s just a simple list of some of the most popular materials:

Pavers are one of the most often chosen material for garden walkways, patios and driveways. They are made from of a number of very durable, slip-resistant materials from natural stone, to concrete, to clay. Pavers come in a many variety of colors, shapes and sizes, making them an excellent choice because we can match or complement the color of your home as well. They are quite easy to maintain, making them an excellent choice for either residential or commercial use. Pavers are usually set into a pervious sandy base, which lets rain soak slowly back into the ground rather than washing off as runoff.

Bricks: If your house has a more classic look, then a brick-and-mortar walkway offers a clean and more formal look that also requires minimal maintenance.

Concrete: Concrete is also a common choice because it is durable, very low maintenance and can be easily colored, stained or even stamped for a wider range of design choices. Concrete can be stamped to look just like brick, stone, or other custom designs to match your surrounding landscape.

Natural slate and stone: For a beautiful natural, rustic looking slate and stone are available in a wide range of colors, sizes and textures. It also wears well against weather and maintains a high end look. Whether it is large slate paving stones or smaller river rocks, stone is always a great choice.

Wood: If you are seeking a more rustic homestyle look, wood is the way to go. It is easy to install, and wood can be stained or painted to match your existing landscape. Keep in mind though that wood will require yearly maintenance to prevent rot and decay.

Natural combinations: Why not try a mix of materials for your walkway giving it a unique touch. Brick and stone work great together, or gravel with large slate stepping stones makes for visual interest and creates a more classic look making the walkway look like it’s been there for many, many years. A perfect choice for a classically designed home and garden.

Flagstones: Because flagstones are offered in so many different kinds of shapes and sizes, they offer a creative, yet timeless look to your landscape. They are easy to maintain and fit well into most outdoor space layouts.

Creating The Perfect Walkway for Your Landscape Design

At Peer Landscaping we know how to create the perfect walkways and garden paths to best join the different areas of your garden into a seamlessly beautiful experience. We can design your dream landscape that is as basic yet elegant, or as elaborate and lush as you wish. There are several things for you to consider before we ever stick a spade in the soil to start your walkway. We will decide whether you want a leisurely pathway of crushed gravel that  snakes a winding route through your outdoor space, or you may prefer a straight formal brick and mortar walkway bringing you and your guests to a center point such as a trellis of flowers, a water fountain or even a sitting bench to enjoy the flowers. Below are some of the design elements we take into consideration when designing your walkway or pathway:

Practical purpose of the path: What do you want to achieve with your path or walkway? Should it be wide enough for two people to walk hand in hand? Does it need to allow for use of a wheelchair or a wheelbarrow? Do you want it to take your guests to specific areas of your outdoor space, or simply just to the front door? We want to look at all of the natural access routes you want to gates, children’s play areas, entertaining areas such as fire pits or Jacuzzis. We may also want to build pathways to plantings, benches or trees in your yard. Depending on the walkway’s purpose, we may want it to be wider for more traffic, or made of a stronger materials for the same reason.

Design and style considerations: Together we will look at the style of your home, and our landscape design to determine the final design of your gardens pathways or walkways. The goal is everything complements each other. We want to pick materials that blend well with your existing landscape, are practical and easily to maintain. We can even use walkways to improve on your garden’s overall proportions. For example, if you have an area of garden that is narrow, a path that sweeps from side to side creates the illusion of a wider outdoor space. Or if your garden has straight lines, a simple walkway that snakes can lend new interest to the overall look.

Formal or casual considerations: Is your space a more formal garden look like the lovely night garden at the Edison Estate in Fort Myers? It’s formal geometric square layout framed with box hedging and repetitive forms harking back to the gardens in the palaces of England or France. A wide straight path around this type of space gives a clear sense of proportion and a linear perspective and directs the eye, while allowing you to walk along the path smelling the roses or plucking the perfect flower buds for a vase. An informal garden, however, wants a meandering garden path that is designed for all to enjoy a leisurely stroll through natural feeling bends. This works well when you need to wind around areas of dense landscaping. This type of pathway should be created without the rigid geometry of bricks or pavers. Instead, pine straw, bark chips or gravel to work best.

“Best Landscaper in Fort Myers, FL”

Top Rated Local Landscaping Contractors/Services/Company

Lee County: Fort Myers, , , , , FL

Recent

“Best Landscaper in Fort Myers, FL”

Top Rated Local Landscaping Contractors/Services/Company

Lee County: Fort Myers, , , , , FL

CityScoop is the top ranked local business news network in the United States. Established in 2008, CityScoop has been providing local communities with high quality news about local businesses and their most recent projects.

About Cityscoop
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

LOCAL EXPERT

AUTHOR & CONTRIBUTOR
Profile Avatar Click to view Author Bio

Your Name

Your Business

Leave a message

Please wait...

Location

No address found...

Recent

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author bio information not available!

QR CODE

Fort Myers, FL – We Create Beautiful Walkways, Pathways Through Your Landscape