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outdoor walkways


Details in the Dirt: Putting a Spin on Flagstone Walkways

Flagstone walkways are no stranger to the Northeast.  The beautiful blue, gray, brown, and purple tones of the stone compliment its natural surroundings, grounding it into any outdoor setting as if it always belonged.  Its durability and accessibility allows it to be used indoors and out weathering foot traffic and harsh weather.  Both its function and aesthetic are worth its weight in gold as a walkway material in the landscape.

Outdoor paths take on many shapes and sizes depending on their functions and constraints of their location.  Each creating a different effect, but what most don’t consider is adding details along the way.  Cut flagstone gives a walkway a more formal feeling.  Where a cut flagstone walkway and irregular flagstone path meet, a detail can mean all the difference.

cut rectangular flagstone walkway with irregular flagstone apron

An irregular flagstone driveway apron meets with a formal front flagstone walkway

Try combining different materials with the flagstone or changing the layout.  Here I installed cut flagstone for a walkway to the front entrance of a home.  The use of the Delaware river gravel in the pockets allows for better drainage and slows the speed of the walk, making you enjoy the journey through the gardens.      

cut flagstone walkway river gravel pockets

Cut flagstone walkway with Delaware river gravel ‘pockets’

 Where your walkways connect with other spaces, such as a patio, is also a great area to add interest.  Introduce another type of stone or shape to define the walkways beginning and end, subconsciously helping the flow of the space with people.  I took a native fieldstone wall stone and set it on edge for a flush finish with the flagstone.  The orange tones of the fieldstone compliment the blues in the flagstone and the contrast delineates the circular patio from the walkway.

avondale wallstone edge to circular patio of irregular flagstone

Native fieldstone pieces set on edge to create a defined edge between a circular flagstone patio and walkway

Little details go a long way to make your flagstone walkway not only functional, but thoughtful and refined.


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