Pebble Mosaic Paths

Just because a garden path serves the utilitarian purpose of getting us from A to B doesn’t mean that it needs to look utilitarian. There are many attractive options in a variety of materials – including stone, brick, slate and timber – but well-laid pebble mosaics take things even further, transforming a path into an eye-catching work of art. It’s a form of garden decoration with a long history – the Greeks and Romans were masters of the craft and there continues to be a strong tradition for this type of work around the shores of the Mediterranean. Of course practice makes perfect – the skilled artisans who continue to create paths, terraces and patios in these countries make it look so easy – but provided you start modestly, learning the techniques in a small area and keep the pattern simple, you can achieve good results – and then move on to more ambitious projects. Most garden centres sell cleaned and graded stones in a selection of colours, or if you have a stony garden you can collect and sort your own, but don’t be tempted to collect them from elsewhere – especially the beach – as this is not allowed. You will need a lot of pebbles – a rough guide is 25lbs per square foot, but this varies according to stone size. There’s an excellent book on the subject ‘Complete Pebble Mosaics Handbook’ by Maggy Howarth which provides detailed practical information on every aspect of making a pebble path as well as a wealth of lovely designs, and there are plenty of inspiring images to be found online.