Need help with planning garden path after extension please

[tootiredtothink]

Should this be here or gardening I wonder?

Currently having small extension to rear of property to make kitchen/diner. Builder just marked where the wall and path will be on the grass....garden suddenly looking sooo much narrower than I imagined.

He has marked the path a 2 slab width and is talking about laying back down some of our patio slabs. Garden too small now to have patio but what would you wonderful people suggest instead of a slab path? Rest of garden is grass area and with kids am thinking we prob need to keep that-or do we? Not much of a football pitch left now.

I want something beautiful but don't have a clue what....maybe should have spent a little time researching this instead of drooling over kitchen cabinets .

All help and ideas will most gratefully be used

[Rhubarbgarden]

What are the dimensions of the garden? Is it rectangular? Are there any existing flower beds or trees or other features you wish to keep? What's at the bottom of the garden? Compost heap? Shed? Do you plan to sit/eat out there? Washing line - fixed, retractable or rotary?

Sorry about Spanish inquisition but it will help us give you some ideas.

[tootiredtothink]

Give me 5 mins and I'll measure up.....Spanish inquistion good, as you see I have no clue .

[tootiredtothink]

A very rough measurement of the garden (using my size 8 feet lol).

Garden has an L shaped thing going on. North facing (hate it) and facing out to neightbours garage wall so not a good view.

Imagine the garage is in our garden (which it is but please bear with me, am so rubbish at describing things. will have a go at photos later)

Total width is 42ft. then at end of garden, length to garage wall is 14.5 ft. At end of garage (L shaped) the length from house to fence is 26.5ft.

Does that make sense at all?

Washing line goes along the width of garden and is retractable, no plants at all .

We're thinking of putting an area for eating in the L shape at bottom of garden ifkwim? Maybe a decking area?

We do have a huge garden at side of house but its not utilised as on a main road and we've not yet got around to fencing it off.

[Rhubarbgarden]

Ok I think I follow.

In a north facing garden, the bottom is absolutely the right place for your eating area as this will get the evening sun, so I would pave that bit of the L shape with nice stone for your table and chairs. You could deck it if you prefer, but stone flags are more hardwearing and don't get as slippery.

If your garden is 42 ft wide I think it is plenty wide enough to accommodate a good path - and you do need a good path if your eating area is at the bottom of the garden. Don't be tempted to think it's ok to walk across the grass. You will end up wearing a track through the lawn which will look rubbish and get muddy. Two flagstones width is the correct width for a path; two people should be able to walk down it side by side. But if you really feel it doesn't leave you with enough lawn, cut it to one flag width. Avoid having the path run next to the fence/wall - hard landscaping next to a boundary never looks good. Try to accommodate a flower bed between the boundary and the path. Flowers and foliage will soften the hard edges and give you more of a feeling of space, the path will be more enticing and the overall look much more attractive. Avoid areas of gravel - in my opinion they always look a bit rubbish unless constantly maintained with every dropped leaf raked out as soon as it appears. A lawn, no matter how small, is always softer, fresher, prettier and more relaxing/cooling in hot weather.

Sorry that was a bit of a hurried download - got to get dd's lunch on instead of faffing around on MN. Hope it's of some use. I might add more later if I get chance.

[Rhubarbgarden]

And get that side garden fenced off and used!

[tootiredtothink]

Sorry, was out and about, thank you Rhubarb for your fab advice. I hadn't even considered a path running to the eating area...a definite must I agree....and I'm far too lazy a gardener to upkeep gravel so that's out .

You've also swayed me away from decking (always wonder how many rats are living under there).

Will undoubtedly be back for brick/planting advice later in the year .