Surprisingly Easy and Awesome: Choosing Garden Stepping Stones for your garden pathways

A sense of beauty combined with a sense of humor helps to make a garden warm and inviting. It is far more exciting to become enchanted when you enter a garden than merely impressed by scale or expensive plants. The way you arrange the space in your garden influences its’ beauty and its utility. The garden pathway often achieves this purpose. Pathways divide the space and direct passage and flow through your garden space….and, of course, there is nothing like stepping stones to create ideal pathways.

Since a garden is a celebration of the wonder and beauty of nature, it makes sense to consider stepping stones made of natural materials.

1. Natural Stone

The most natural choice for garden stepping stones is real stone.  If you live in an area where it is plentiful, you simply need to go on a stone foraging trip to find nice flat ones that will serve as stones. In more populated areas, you can search for a construction site, where land is being cleared for a building project.  If you ask permission, they will often let you take all the stone you want for free.  

 2. Concrete and Cast Stone

Concrete is manipulated natural material and KC gardeners know it is one of the most amazing materials for creating garden stepping stones from simple basic shapes to multicolored dimensional sculptures. Cast stone is similar but is made of pulverized stone held together with a binder.  It is desirable because it can be cast and does not have to be finished further.

3. Recycled Rubber

Another manipulated natural material is rubber.  The use of rubber garden stepping stones and mulch is growing in popularity, especially those made from recycled materials.   These stepping stones are soft and will not break! 

4. Bricks and pavers can be used as stepping stones in the creation of garden pathways.  It is especially nice to use bricks salvaged from old buildings or roads. This is much more cost effective than purchasing new materials.

Calling KC Gardeners:  Don't miss the fun at the Spring Sale
"Peace On My Porch." Weekends April 26 through May 27! 

5.  Sliced Tree Trunk

You can be creative and use what you have.  A guy I know had a large tree fall during a summer storm.  He sliced large two-inch thick rounds from the trunk with his chainsaw and used them as stepping stones in his garden.

Have fun with your plans for garden stepping stones, and try choosing a theme. If the idea of gentle breezes and relaxation sounds appealing, get your inspiration from Peace on My Porch, the theme for From the Summer’s Garden 2013 Spring Sale. Special events and a great selection of KC artists’ pieces for your garden await … April 26 through May 27, every weekend! Come relax with us!