Laying paving with deliberate gaps

[PreemptiveFartSquats]

Has anyone done this? I'm aiming for something flat enough to walk on and occasionally roll wheelie bins across, but with big enough gaps between the slabs to grow something like creeping thyme. There are a few articles online about how to do it but most assume the paving is already there and has developed cracks over time. We will be laying the paving specifically and I thought we could just lay the slabs straight on the earth (it's not a big area, just a few m², and is already flat). We've spoken to a builder and he wants to put some sort of foundation underneath the paving (and them add soil on top in the dents between slabs which would usually be filled in I guess ). Any thoughts? Thanks!

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/jul/26/gardens-plants-cracks-paths

If you lay slabs direct onto soil they'll sink and move unevenly. A well compacted bed of sand might fit your bill, as many herbs thrive in impoverished soils. The smell when you walk over it would 'll be lovely.

We did it into a bed of sand and planted alpines between. It’s worked really well and the slabs are solid now with all the cracks covered. I can’t remember which type of sand we used but it did have to be a Kant friendly one so check that.

Plant friendly that should say!

Also we used really cheap concrete ‘stone look alike’ slabs but as the edges are now covered over it’s fine you can’t tell.

That is beautiful Cathpot!

Thanks- I’m overly pleased with it so I have waved that photo around on here before. To be fair it doesn’t look like that at the moment as the snow didn’t do some of the larger things any favours and I’ve given everything else a severe haircut before it starts growing again. I would buy your alpines now if you want to use plug plants as they are much cheaper when they are small. Thyme is brilliant but there is also a creeping mint which is lovely and lots of other lovely low growing things which flower like crazy in early summer.

Your builder is right.
Slabs need to be laid on a compacted sub base made from sand and cement.
If you don't do this they will move and could crack over time and you'll have wasted your time and money.

He's right about infilling the spaces in between with soil as well. I've constructed loads of gardens, it's worth doing it properly, once.