Paths in raised bed gardens?

[The Mama Chicken]

I'm wondering what y'all use for the paths in your raised bed gardens. Grass? Mulch? Gravel?
I've just tilled my new garden and added the loose topsoil from the paths to the raised beds. There are 18 4'x8' raised beds that will eventually have borders (of some kind), 3 18'x4' raised beds for artichokes, asparagus, and strawberries and 3 flat 18'x20' beds for melons, corn and squash. I know that if I don't do anything grass will come back in the paths. I have a huge mound of wood mulch I could put on the paths, but I don't like the way it feels (I'm barefoot more often than not) nor do I want to drag enough gravel up from the creek to line the paths. I was considering planting clover as a groundcover. I know it will grow here because it's all over our 10 acres. Has anyone tried this?

 

[vfem]

My neighbor does clover for his paths and it works for him. I have different types of paths in different garden areas. In the front I have brick, followed by pavers I got as hand-me-downs. I also have have around some beds I just put in another area, but that's because I haven't finished putting in all the beds exactly where I want them, so I surely don't want permanant paths until I'm dead certain where they end up. My first fenced in garden area had pebble/rock lined beds, but I dug all that up because I didn't do it right the first time and weeds took over.

In fact I just came inside from digging up the weeds that were under the rock, and have started turning the dirt to compact again. Will layer with sand, then the rocks back on top. I'll finish it off with cement stepping stones I plant on making.

It sure is a lot of work and I'm grateful that garden area is so small! Shhhhheeeeeeesh, that is the last time I use gravel unless I hire someone else to do it. :/

 

[skeeter9]

Couple of suggestions: What about that low-growing thyme? Imagine what that would smell like when you work your garden! Or what about dichondra?

 

[lesa]

I love the idea of a "living ground cover". I planted clover in the fall, in the hopes that it would winter over. But, with no snow- I am not sure how that experiment will be! Let us know what you come up with. I am against the stone- just because it is such a pain for weeds, and very hard on the knees (if you like to crawl around- which I do!)

 

[April Manier]

If you DON'T want grass you will have to put a barrier and then a cover. Grass is just unstoppable! Grass will grow through the clover and maybe even take over, although clover is quite the choler itself.

Remember that you will have to weed eat around all those beds. No matter what the stuff just get too tall.

Knowing that nothing is going to be no maintenance, I might consider an environmental lawn mix. It has yarrow and other low growing herbs. I like it because it is easy on the feet, requires low water, chokes out a lot of other stuff and it's aromatic. It's a little bit more expensive up front, but very sustainable.

 

[Carol Dee]

We have paths just he width of the riding mower. So it is grass. An occasional trip around with the weed eater keeps it tidy. I like the grass. No muddy feet. Clover should work great.

 

[thistlebloom]

I like the clover idea. White Dutch stays pretty low ( 8 inches or so ) and can be dense enough to crowd out weeds. It will spread, but any other plant you use will too. The bees will love it, so you'll have to be careful of that when gardening barefoot.

 

[The Mama Chicken]

Thanks for the advice everyone, I think we are going to go with the clover. The paths are wide enough to mow if it gets too tall and the chickens, rabbits, and goats will love the clippings. I'll let everyone know how it went in the fall.

 

[hoodat]

If white clover gets walked on a lot it will stay quite low. Walking on it doesn't seem to harm it unless it's overdone.

 

[April Manier]

And white clover is a bee favorite! It is also stunning at bloom!!!!!!