Transform Your Landscape With A Must-Try Trick From HGTV's Joanna Gaines

Decorating your yard can be a challenge. Sometimes, no matter how well you plan it out, it doesn't look quite right, as if it's missing an important piece. Thankfully, in these cases, there is something else you can try if you're looking for a way to add color, texture, and to draw in the eye: Consider introducing a mixed-material walkway. After all, adding an attractive path through your yard is an outdoor update that adds some serious value to your home, so it's important you do it right. HGTV's Joanna Gaines, in the "Fixer Upper" video "45 Best Home Decorating Ideas of All Time" on YouTube, shows off a great example of how this path can change a home's exterior. She ended up using white stones mixed with pavers in a similar shade nestled among the rocks, but of course the beauty of this trick is that it's completely customizable.

Setting up this path isn't much harder than doing any other as long as you plan out your walkway. You'll want the whole thing to be a little wider than the flagstones you choose so that you can fully surround them with gravel. Then, set down your pavers where you want them. Though it's a little extra work, measuring out the distance between the stepping stones to make them even creates a more refined look. Once those are where you want them, set the gravel around them. Make it nice and thick so it is barely lower than, or even with, pavers. Loose gravel and pebbles tend to move around, so setting up a small border or edging up against the gravel can help everything stay and place and create a better-looking design. 

In Joanna Gaines' video, she points out that, if you want something low-maintenance, but that adds a little extra detail and texture to your yard, a blend of pavers and stones as a walkway is a great solution. Generally, when creating a pathway, you'd use one or the other, but having a mix creates a bit of depth while also being practical. Gravel and large stones create a fun path that isn't flat, but loose rocks can be a huge pain to walk across. They can lead to twisted ankles and other injuries if you slip. Pavers are safer, but can crack and get shifted around and look sloppy or old-fashioned if weeds grow up around them. This design helps solve both issues.

To really make this design stand out, consider using it to create a contrasting visual. For example, if you picked dark earth or mulch, then lighter stones will catch the eye. Or, choose something rich and earthy to go against a bright and lush grass. There are plenty of ways to make walkways in your garden, including spicing up your lawn with a budget-friendly DIY path, but this is a simple design that provides freedom to adjust the walkway to your tastes. Make it direct or meandering, partly hidden among rocks or foliage. 

Additionally, don't feel limited to a gravel base. Choose stones, landscaping chippings, bark, or any other materials you can think of using. While this method from Gaines is certainly a great option to transform your landscape, it isn't the only one. If this trick just isn't working for you, there are a few other ways to take your landscaping to the next level with these DIY paver projects.