Do you enjoy going for walks? Do you exercise at home? Do you just want a beautiful property with places to explore? Consider having some interesting nature paths incorporated into your landscaping.

Look at the photo of a plan that goes along with this blog. There are several ideas on this plan for ways to do paths.

One easy way to have a path is to create an “island bed”of plantings near the border bed so that a mowed lawn path can be created. Keep the width of the path wide enough for at least one path or more of the lawn mower to drive through.

This design brings a crushed stone path right through the island bed so that you can go straight from the patio over to the start of the crushed granite path at the island bed, or you can go around to the mowed grass path. There are options here!

Once you cross over the mowed lawn path, the crushed granite path picks up again and leads you to two more choices of where to walk...one, cross over the bridge at the pond, or two, go to the bench near the edge of the pond.

The bench at the pond is one of my favorite things about this design. Just imagine a beautiful Koi pond with 2 places to feed the fish. Either right over the edge of the bridge, or at the edge of the pond by the bench. After you cross over the bridge, you are led back to the main lawn area and there’s another surprise awaiting you. There’s another crushed granite path at the rear of the property. You can use these same types of ideas for your property.

Here’s a bonus...The paths not only are fun to walk on and discover things around your property, but they also allow access to the pond and plants for easier maintenance for things like pruning or weeding.

If you have a big, blank space in your back yard, you might enjoy these ideas.How about if you have a patch of woods? You could choose your desired way to walk around in the woods which may be determined by such things as the grade, roots, boulders, etc. Pick a path, and then create what is essentially a path that would remind you of a very small section of your very own “Appalachian Trail”.

Try planting some cool woodland plants along your journey. Maybe some Trillium? How about some Rhododendron?

Then, I love the idea of a place to take a rest. A bench is a perfect idea for any nature path.

Take your love of walking and put it in your very own back yard.