Bailey Van Tassel

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02 Jan 2023
Garden Design

Why Pea Gravel Won in Our Trial of 7 Garden Pathways

Spoiler alert: after exploring seven ideas, and implementing three (yes, three!) comparative trials, we went with pea gravel. Choosing the right material for our garden pathways was like choosing a tattoo. It felt so permanent because the cost can be exorbitant and the permanence overwhelming. It was a journey, to say the least, but here are the details of it for you so that you can choose wisely. I wish I had read an article like this!

The pea gravel and flagstone final look.

How To Choose A Garden Pathway

When considering garden pathways, there is a lot to think about. Here is what I find helpful to consider:

  • The feeling under your feet (if you’re barefoot, this is crucial)
  • The amount of potential mess that can be drug inside or about your yard
  • The cost
  • The amount of water needed (if at all)
  • The aesthetic compared to your home style
  • The overall feeling you’re trying to achieve with the space.
Here’s the DG and flagstone – it photographed well, but felt off and was a mess, and hurt underfoot.

The Path to Pea Gravel Started with DG

After a lot of discussion and deliberation, we actually first chose and fully invested in Decomposed Granite (DG). We had it installed with flagstone stepping stones throughout to create a cute pathway. Immediately we regretted it because we didn’t realize how orange the color would look. We live in a bit of a desert climate and wanted to avoid more of that desolate look. Additionally, it was so so uncomfortable to walk on, which we had never tried out before (note that!).

Some of the photos look great, but it was just not the vibe we wanted after all. We were considering living with it until we had a contractor friend come out and explain how easy it would be to cover with something else.

After months of DG, a new backyard project was underway for us and we had old grass turf laying around. My husband loves the look of grass in a raised bed garden, so we thought we’d give it a try. My gut was a hard “no”, but compromise is in my blood.

We had the turf laid around the garden and it did look great, however, it felt horrible. Part of my resistance was to the microplastics that are sent into the soil with heat exposure and time, so I don’t like that. Also, it felt so much like carpet. That very night after it was laid out I woke up in a bit of an actual panic attack feeling like I couldn’t breathe. Around 3:15 am our backyard camera caught footage of me walking around barefoot on the turf, trying to convince myself that it was no big deal. I didn’t sleep the rest of the night and then explained to my husband (trying to not sound totally unhinged) how it was making me suffocate.

Enter The Pea Gravel

After the panic attack turf episode, I recommended we try pea gravel. It was my original instinct and love, and after pricing it out, realized that it was a $400 fix. We would keep the flagstone, spread that out, and could have some turf accents, especially by our doorway, to keep the mess down and add that green look my husband loves.

I went to a landscape supplier and brought home three bags of pea gravel – all smooth varieties with mixed tones that would complement some warmth, but not add to the desert vibe we were avoiding. We settled on ‘Yosemite’ 3/4 – 1/2″ stones.

The end result was INCREDIBLE. We literally said, “this is what it should feel like to love the way something looks and feels”. Gah, the process was turbulent, but we got there.

So, let’s dive into the details in case you want more background.

What We Compared

We explored seven pathway options, three of which we actually tried out, and some of which we had experience with. Eventually, and finally, we tried out pea gravel, getting three samples of rock, but the exploration process was what led us there.

Here is what we evaluated:

  • Mulch
  • Moss
  • DG
  • Pea Gravel
  • Turf/ Grass
  • Stone

I’ll break down each of these in detail, and then we can have a big symphony of excitement around why the pea gravel is so great!

  1. Mulch was the material pre-existing in the garden and though it can look tidy and be great for soil, it was messy and constantly drug into the house by way of the dog’s fur. We removed that early on in our garden renovation, never to be seen again.
  2. Moss is what I wanted initially, with flagstone pavers as stepping stones. I was picturing a centuries-old verdant Irish garden. However, we live in Southern California in a drought with zero soil health, so that would require a ton of irrigation, and we also have wooden raised beds, so that much water on the beds will rapidly increase rot.
  3. Decomposed granite (DG) is what I was most familiar with seeing and seemed the lowest maintenance. The only con relevant at the time seemed to be the mess when it rains, but it rarely rains here. Eventually, I realized the color was a no for us as well (you can see it pictured here looking less orange than it was in person. Another con that we realized was how dusty it was all the time, with little tiny rocks that stuck in your feet and scratched the floor when drug inside. It was more of a muddy mess whenever wet, and then turns into a sort of gluey orange headache. I have toddlers, so they explored the extent of muddy DG thrown onto walls – that was fun.
  4. Pea gravel is what I pinned the most on Pinterest (as cringe as that sounds) because it most resembles a french potager. However, we were worried (and ill-advised) that it would move a lot. We also had a hard time picturing the coloring working with the warm tones of our brick home. We also were worried about the barefoot effect, and then found that we can get different textures. Some pea gravel is smooth (which we chose).
  5. Grass was a big yes from my husband. He wanted Bermuda grass (like a gold course), but we realized quickly with research that that was too high maintenance and not water-wise at all. Again, the excessive watering around the raised beds was an issue too.
  6. Stone was a fun idea, as we have brick on the front of the house. But, that felt too hard-scape to me and it’s quite costly. Plus, that is really really permanent and takes away some of the life of the garden to me. We did add some flagstone pavers throughout, which we loved from the get-go.
  7. Turf was the last option, an alternative to grass, but still giving that green effect. It was much too stifling to me, unsustainable, and felt so so wrong beneath my feet in a space that is about life and nature.
Here is the turf, looking green, but feeling like a carpet.

Overall, as you read, pea gravel is what we chose. We love the look of it (there are dozens of options), the feel of the more polished stone (again, there are options on texture), and the look of something natural, yet still tidy. The rocks are not sliding, not being brought into the house (there is a buffer area by the door of turf and flagstone that keeps it at bay for us), and really look a good mixture of traditional, yet fresh.

I hope this breakdown is helpful, as we really went all-in on exploring this one with some failed attempts and wasted money. Good luck on your garden pathway adventure!

TAGS:garden designgarden pathwaysgarden renovationpea gravelraised bed garden
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Hi I’m Bailey

Hi I’m Bailey

Teaching you how to grow veggies in any space while show you how to live a garden-inspired life.

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Shall we try a photo dump? 

1. Harvesting so much chard right now. Making a spanikopita asap. 

2. Got my tomato and pepper starts! They’re going in this week💘 I’ll share more soon. 

3. Sweet baby Duke. I want to eat him. 

4. The garden is so happy from the rain and this is maybe photo #12,907 that I’ve taken

5. Salmon bites in the air fryer were a hit. Kids even ate this!! Do it. 

6. Seeds I started last week💪🏼

7. My son wrote a book for me about gardening and my heart has never been more full. Complete with his own 5 year old “I luv mam” notes that make me cry because I just love it so much. 

8. My daughter and I noticed birds trying to pull our trellis string down for their nests so we cut some for them and draped it around. They took all the pieces! 

9. Last weekend I went to brunch with friends and it was a bit of an ordeal getting a sitter, taking the baby, etc. But I’m committed to no longer being a martyr when plans change, and was so filled up by my time away from home. Time with girlfriends for a few years took a backseat and I’ve been actively changing that dynamic. Feels amazing. 

Life is dang good. Celebrate it. 

#gardeninspiration #gardenlife #gardenmama #gardeningwithkids #organic #photodump
Shall we try a photo dump? 1. Harvesting so much chard right now. Making a spanikopita asap. 2. Got my tomato and pepper starts! They’re going in this week💘 I’ll share more soon. 3. Sweet baby Duke. I want to eat him. 4. The garden is so happy from the rain and this is maybe photo #12,907 that I’ve taken 5. Salmon bites in the air fryer were a hit. Kids even ate this!! Do it. 6. Seeds I started last week💪🏼 7. My son wrote a book for me about gardening and my heart has never been more full. Complete with his own 5 year old “I luv mam” notes that make me cry because I just love it so much. 8. My daughter and I noticed birds trying to pull our trellis string down for their nests so we cut some for them and draped it around. They took all the pieces! 9. Last weekend I went to brunch with friends and it was a bit of an ordeal getting a sitter, taking the baby, etc. But I’m committed to no longer being a martyr when plans change, and was so filled up by my time away from home. Time with girlfriends for a few years took a backseat and I’ve been actively changing that dynamic. Feels amazing. Life is dang good. Celebrate it. #gardeninspiration #gardenlife #gardenmama #gardeningwithkids #organic #photodump
Shall we try a photo dump? 

1. Harvesting so much chard right now. Making a spanikopita asap. 

2. Got my tomato and pepper starts! They’re going in this week💘 I’ll share more soon. 

3. Sweet baby Duke. I want to eat him. 

4. The garden is so happy from the rain and this is maybe photo #12,907 that I’ve taken

5. Salmon bites in the air fryer were a hit. Kids even ate this!! Do it. 

6. Seeds I started last week💪🏼

7. My son wrote a book for me about gardening and my heart has never been more full. Complete with his own 5 year old “I luv mam” notes that make me cry because I just love it so much. 

8. My daughter and I noticed birds trying to pull our trellis string down for their nests so we cut some for them and draped it around. They took all the pieces! 

9. Last weekend I went to brunch with friends and it was a bit of an ordeal getting a sitter, taking the baby, etc. But I’m committed to no longer being a martyr when plans change, and was so filled up by my time away from home. Time with girlfriends for a few years took a backseat and I’ve been actively changing that dynamic. Feels amazing. 

Life is dang good. Celebrate it. 

#gardeninspiration #gardenlife #gardenmama #gardeningwithkids #organic #photodump
Shall we try a photo dump? 

1. Harvesting so much chard right now. Making a spanikopita asap. 

2. Got my tomato and pepper starts! They’re going in this week💘 I’ll share more soon. 

3. Sweet baby Duke. I want to eat him. 

4. The garden is so happy from the rain and this is maybe photo #12,907 that I’ve taken

5. Salmon bites in the air fryer were a hit. Kids even ate this!! Do it. 

6. Seeds I started last week💪🏼

7. My son wrote a book for me about gardening and my heart has never been more full. Complete with his own 5 year old “I luv mam” notes that make me cry because I just love it so much. 

8. My daughter and I noticed birds trying to pull our trellis string down for their nests so we cut some for them and draped it around. They took all the pieces! 

9. Last weekend I went to brunch with friends and it was a bit of an ordeal getting a sitter, taking the baby, etc. But I’m committed to no longer being a martyr when plans change, and was so filled up by my time away from home. Time with girlfriends for a few years took a backseat and I’ve been actively changing that dynamic. Feels amazing. 

Life is dang good. Celebrate it. 

#gardeninspiration #gardenlife #gardenmama #gardeningwithkids #organic #photodump
Shall we try a photo dump? 

1. Harvesting so much chard right now. Making a spanikopita asap. 

2. Got my tomato and pepper starts! They’re going in this week💘 I’ll share more soon. 

3. Sweet baby Duke. I want to eat him. 

4. The garden is so happy from the rain and this is maybe photo #12,907 that I’ve taken

5. Salmon bites in the air fryer were a hit. Kids even ate this!! Do it. 

6. Seeds I started last week💪🏼

7. My son wrote a book for me about gardening and my heart has never been more full. Complete with his own 5 year old “I luv mam” notes that make me cry because I just love it so much. 

8. My daughter and I noticed birds trying to pull our trellis string down for their nests so we cut some for them and draped it around. They took all the pieces! 

9. Last weekend I went to brunch with friends and it was a bit of an ordeal getting a sitter, taking the baby, etc. But I’m committed to no longer being a martyr when plans change, and was so filled up by my time away from home. Time with girlfriends for a few years took a backseat and I’ve been actively changing that dynamic. Feels amazing. 

Life is dang good. Celebrate it. 

#gardeninspiration #gardenlife #gardenmama #gardeningwithkids #organic #photodump
Shall we try a photo dump? 

1. Harvesting so much chard right now. Making a spanikopita asap. 

2. Got my tomato and pepper starts! They’re going in this week💘 I’ll share more soon. 

3. Sweet baby Duke. I want to eat him. 

4. The garden is so happy from the rain and this is maybe photo #12,907 that I’ve taken

5. Salmon bites in the air fryer were a hit. Kids even ate this!! Do it. 

6. Seeds I started last week💪🏼

7. My son wrote a book for me about gardening and my heart has never been more full. Complete with his own 5 year old “I luv mam” notes that make me cry because I just love it so much. 

8. My daughter and I noticed birds trying to pull our trellis string down for their nests so we cut some for them and draped it around. They took all the pieces! 

9. Last weekend I went to brunch with friends and it was a bit of an ordeal getting a sitter, taking the baby, etc. But I’m committed to no longer being a martyr when plans change, and was so filled up by my time away from home. Time with girlfriends for a few years took a backseat and I’ve been actively changing that dynamic. Feels amazing. 

Life is dang good. Celebrate it. 

#gardeninspiration #gardenlife #gardenmama #gardeningwithkids #organic #photodump
Shall we try a photo dump? 

1. Harvesting so much chard right now. Making a spanikopita asap. 

2. Got my tomato and pepper starts! They’re going in this week💘 I’ll share more soon. 

3. Sweet baby Duke. I want to eat him. 

4. The garden is so happy from the rain and this is maybe photo #12,907 that I’ve taken

5. Salmon bites in the air fryer were a hit. Kids even ate this!! Do it. 

6. Seeds I started last week💪🏼

7. My son wrote a book for me about gardening and my heart has never been more full. Complete with his own 5 year old “I luv mam” notes that make me cry because I just love it so much. 

8. My daughter and I noticed birds trying to pull our trellis string down for their nests so we cut some for them and draped it around. They took all the pieces! 

9. Last weekend I went to brunch with friends and it was a bit of an ordeal getting a sitter, taking the baby, etc. But I’m committed to no longer being a martyr when plans change, and was so filled up by my time away from home. Time with girlfriends for a few years took a backseat and I’ve been actively changing that dynamic. Feels amazing. 

Life is dang good. Celebrate it. 

#gardeninspiration #gardenlife #gardenmama #gardeningwithkids #organic #photodump
Shall we try a photo dump? 

1. Harvesting so much chard right now. Making a spanikopita asap. 

2. Got my tomato and pepper starts! They’re going in this week💘 I’ll share more soon. 

3. Sweet baby Duke. I want to eat him. 

4. The garden is so happy from the rain and this is maybe photo #12,907 that I’ve taken

5. Salmon bites in the air fryer were a hit. Kids even ate this!! Do it. 

6. Seeds I started last week💪🏼

7. My son wrote a book for me about gardening and my heart has never been more full. Complete with his own 5 year old “I luv mam” notes that make me cry because I just love it so much. 

8. My daughter and I noticed birds trying to pull our trellis string down for their nests so we cut some for them and draped it around. They took all the pieces! 

9. Last weekend I went to brunch with friends and it was a bit of an ordeal getting a sitter, taking the baby, etc. But I’m committed to no longer being a martyr when plans change, and was so filled up by my time away from home. Time with girlfriends for a few years took a backseat and I’ve been actively changing that dynamic. Feels amazing. 

Life is dang good. Celebrate it. 

#gardeninspiration #gardenlife #gardenmama #gardeningwithkids #organic #photodump
Shall we try a photo dump? 

1. Harvesting so much chard right now. Making a spanikopita asap. 

2. Got my tomato and pepper starts! They’re going in this week💘 I’ll share more soon. 

3. Sweet baby Duke. I want to eat him. 

4. The garden is so happy from the rain and this is maybe photo #12,907 that I’ve taken

5. Salmon bites in the air fryer were a hit. Kids even ate this!! Do it. 

6. Seeds I started last week💪🏼

7. My son wrote a book for me about gardening and my heart has never been more full. Complete with his own 5 year old “I luv mam” notes that make me cry because I just love it so much. 

8. My daughter and I noticed birds trying to pull our trellis string down for their nests so we cut some for them and draped it around. They took all the pieces! 

9. Last weekend I went to brunch with friends and it was a bit of an ordeal getting a sitter, taking the baby, etc. But I’m committed to no longer being a martyr when plans change, and was so filled up by my time away from home. Time with girlfriends for a few years took a backseat and I’ve been actively changing that dynamic. Feels amazing. 

Life is dang good. Celebrate it. 

#gardeninspiration #gardenlife #gardenmama #gardeningwithkids #organic #photodump
baileyvantassel
baileyvantassel
•
Follow

Shall we try a photo dump?

1. Harvesting so much chard right now. Making a spanikopita asap.

2. Got my tomato and pepper starts! They’re going in this week💘 I’ll share more soon.

3. Sweet baby Duke. I want to eat him.

4. The garden is so happy from the rain and this is maybe photo #12,907 that I’ve taken

5. Salmon bites in the air fryer were a hit. Kids even ate this!! Do it.

6. Seeds I started last week💪🏼

7. My son wrote a book for me about gardening and my heart has never been more full. Complete with his own 5 year old “I luv mam” notes that make me cry because I just love it so much.

8. My daughter and I noticed birds trying to pull our trellis string down for their nests so we cut some for them and draped it around. They took all the pieces!

9. Last weekend I went to brunch with friends and it was a bit of an ordeal getting a sitter, taking the baby, etc. But I’m committed to no longer being a martyr when plans change, and was so filled up by my time away from home. Time with girlfriends for a few years took a backseat and I’ve been actively changing that dynamic. Feels amazing.

Life is dang good. Celebrate it.

#gardeninspiration #gardenlife #gardenmama #gardeningwithkids #organic #photodump

9 hours ago
View on Instagram |
1/4
My husband asked me: “so, what do want to do?”

My response: “garden and hang out with my kids.” 

And so, I figured that out. 

Ah, not quite so simple. But really I like to think about what time in my day makes me most happy and how can I make more of that? What do I want to show my kids matters? Better spend time doing that. What do I believe in? Better spend time in that zone too. Perhaps they all collide somehow? They usually do. 

I spent years really searching for my “calling” or purpose … I can say now that the hard part isn’t finding your thing - it’s being the steward of that gift and realizing how to use it. 

This year will be one for the books as I grow my business, our family, and this garden. I’m here for anyone who has questions about making your passion your work too. 

#mompreneur #gardeninglife #sahm #lovewhatyoudo #organicgardening
baileyvantassel
baileyvantassel
•
Follow

My husband asked me: “so, what do want to do?”

My response: “garden and hang out with my kids.”

And so, I figured that out.

Ah, not quite so simple. But really I like to think about what time in my day makes me most happy and how can I make more of that? What do I want to show my kids matters? Better spend time doing that. What do I believe in? Better spend time in that zone too. Perhaps they all collide somehow? They usually do.

I spent years really searching for my “calling” or purpose … I can say now that the hard part isn’t finding your thing – it’s being the steward of that gift and realizing how to use it.

This year will be one for the books as I grow my business, our family, and this garden. I’m here for anyone who has questions about making your passion your work too.

#mompreneur #gardeninglife #sahm #lovewhatyoudo #organicgardening

18 hours ago
View on Instagram |
2/4
And gardening isn’t cheaper 🥴💃🏻. 

It’s funny how things come around …
Raised on a hobby farm where designer jeans were Wranglers, but all I wanted was to dance in the San Francisco ballet and wear high heels. 

Then once I actually wore high heels for work and lived the city life, I longed for the country. 

I’m somewhere in between now which is just how it was supposed to be.
baileyvantassel
baileyvantassel
•
Follow

And gardening isn’t cheaper 🥴💃🏻.

It’s funny how things come around …
Raised on a hobby farm where designer jeans were Wranglers, but all I wanted was to dance in the San Francisco ballet and wear high heels.

Then once I actually wore high heels for work and lived the city life, I longed for the country.

I’m somewhere in between now which is just how it was supposed to be.

6 days ago
View on Instagram |
3/4
Here’s the scoop! I literally had a dream about this and brought it to reality. I want magic in my kids everyday lives. It’s so so fun and they LOVE it. 

What we did is first buy a functional fairy door off Etsy. There are tons is styles and colors. 

Then build a full box without a bottom to attach to the inside of your raised bed. You have to use a jigsaw to cut the hole out, just making sure it fits with the little door. Then you waterproof the box with plastic stapled on all around. 

 E sure to leave room on top of the box for soil to cover it. Ours is 10” deep, wide, and tall (our beds are 18” tall). 

Let the magic unfold 🪄🧚🏼‍♀️
baileyvantassel
baileyvantassel
•
Follow

Here’s the scoop! I literally had a dream about this and brought it to reality. I want magic in my kids everyday lives. It’s so so fun and they LOVE it.

What we did is first buy a functional fairy door off Etsy. There are tons is styles and colors.

Then build a full box without a bottom to attach to the inside of your raised bed. You have to use a jigsaw to cut the hole out, just making sure it fits with the little door. Then you waterproof the box with plastic stapled on all around.

E sure to leave room on top of the box for soil to cover it. Ours is 10” deep, wide, and tall (our beds are 18” tall).

Let the magic unfold 🪄🧚🏼‍♀️

1 week ago
View on Instagram |
4/4

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