Ideas to Landscape a Walkway

Walkway Planting Beds

• Landscape a walkway with flower beds on one side or both sides, depending on the layout of your property. Excavate a 12- to 15-inch wide strip of ground that follows the curvatures of the walkway hardscape. Line both sides of the excavated strips with landscape edging to help prevent weeds and grass from encroaching and to keep the mulch off of the walkway. Prepare the soil to plant selected perennials, annuals and evergreen shrubs based on individual plant needs. Check the pH level of the soil, and build up the walkway beds with additional soil if adequate drainage is an issue.

Dwarf Evergreen Shrubs

• Plant dwarf or miniature evergreen shrubbery along the walkway beds for continuous color. Ornamental conifers such as juniper, fir, cedar are a few options for compact evergreen shrubbery. Space the shrubs at least 5 feet apart along the walkway to make room for the perennial and annual flowers. Place shrubs opposite each other if you landscape with planting beds on both sides of the walkway.

Compact Perennial Flowers

• Perennial flowers will reappear along your walkway each year. The foliage lasts throughout the growing season, but the flowers typically last three to four weeks. Plant compact perennials between each of the evergreen shrubs. Selections include Stella Dora daylilies, calla lilies, tulips, daffodils and dahlias. Make your flower selections based on the amount of sunlight your walkway receives each day. As with the shrubbery, mirror the plants on both sides of the walkway to create symmetry in your landscape design.

Compact Annual Flowers

• Add a mixture of annual flowers in with the perennial flowers for seasonal color between the evergreens. Begonias, geraniums, gerbera daisies and petunias are a few of the flowering annuals that will bloom from the late spring to the first frost. Plant pansies and chrysanthemums for late fall, early winter color.

Landscape Lighting

• Light the walkway with solar lights that follow the shape of the landscape. Place one light in the center of the planting bed, halfway between each evergreen shrub. Alternatively, place one solar landscape light on each side of every shrub.

Decorative Mulch

• Fill in the walkway planting beds with decorative mulch such as river rocks, white stones, tumbled landscape glass or pine bark mulch. Organic mulch is available in shades of red, brown and black to coordinate with any landscape design.