Garden Paths with Bricks Setups for the Yard You’ve Been Dreaming About

Narrow beds can still hold a path with real character.

Here the bricks run in long, staggered rows in warm red, rust and grey brown. The path bends left, then right, so you never see the whole thing at once. Dark mulch sits on both sides, and a white cat watches from the middle of it all.

• Mixed brick shades look aged from day one
• Bends make a short path feel longer
• Hostas, glossy shrubs and spiky grasses keep the edges soft
• Dark mulch makes the red stand out

Let the plants flop over the brick edge a little. It makes the path look like it has always been there.

Two paving materials can share a small space if one of them borders the other.

In this courtyard, red brick laid in a herringbone pattern fills one side, and soft grey stone slabs fill the other. A brick border runs between them, so the change looks planned. Low curved brick walls hold the beds, and tall narrow evergreens stand against a dark fence.

Brick side: warm, busy and full of pattern.
Stone side: cool, calm and good for a table and chairs.

Keep the pots matching. Two or three of the same shape tie it all together.

A circle of brick in the corner of a yard gives you somewhere to sit instead of just walk past.

Rings of bricks fan out from a pale pebble center, and a lighter brick edge finishes the curve. Behind it stand an old weathered wall in reds and blue greys, a white metal bench and a few terracotta pots. Dappled light does the rest.

Plan the circle first, then build it from the middle out.

Boots on, an armful of greens, and a short walk back to the house.

That is the scene here, and the path makes it work. Reclaimed bricks curve past a big blue patterned pot, with raised timber beds of lettuce and chard on either side. Bricks stood on end edge the bend by the chard. The boots even match the path.

Why walk a straight line when the path can look like a row of flowers?

Each round piece has a disc of small pebbles in the middle, and old bricks fan out around it like petals. Reds, browns and a few mossy greens make every ring slightly different. Dark mulch fills the space between them, while fuzzy silver leaves and pink coneflowers grow right at the edge.

Ring by ring, the path pulls your eye forward.

Watch the spacing. Old bricks come in different sizes, so dry fit each ring before you commit.

Nothing here matches, and that is the whole charm.

Salvaged bricks form the frame. Inside it sit grey round pavers, river pebbles in tight patches, flat stones and a flower shape made of square pavers at the far end. Moss tucks into the gaps. A thin metal strip along each side holds it all in place. A couple of bricks even show their old stamped marks, which is fun to hunt for.

Pebble patches feel bumpy underfoot, so put the round pavers along the line you actually walk.

Here is what the middle of a brick project really looks like.

Soft pink and cream bricks sit in herringbone and basket weave patches on a golden sand base. Small plastic spacers keep the gaps even, and a rubber mallet waits nearby. A row of bricks along the edge holds everything in.

Base: level sand, raked flat before the first brick.
Gaps: spacers every few bricks so the lines stay straight.
Taps: a few gentle knocks with the mallet to seat each brick.

The curve is the whole trick here.

The path leaves a wooden trellis gate and bends toward the back of the garden. Pale pink, cream, rust and grey bricks sit in a staggered pattern, with an edge row that follows the bend. Soil still shows on both sides, waiting for plants, while green shrubs and climbers already frame the way in.

Lay a garden hose on the ground first and move it until the bend looks natural. Then build the path along it.

Straight gets you there. A curve makes you want to follow it.