Brick steps or pathways are always beautiful, whatever the weather or season. When it rains they are dark red, and when it’s dry they can be as pale as pink roses. Brick also ages beautifully, and it can be laid in so many different ways. Brick in the Midwest can provide warmth during the winter, fall, spring, and summer. Brick is often an earthy red color; this brick gives the feeling of warming up the steps or pathways even during the winter months.
Our landscape designers and landscape architects can walk you through the use of brick and the different impact a brick can have, depending on how it’s laid. Brick paths in tight herringbone or basket weave patterns bordered with bricks are traditional and elegant.
Red brick is also a wonderful garden accent for drawing attention to a focal point when it’s installed in a circular pattern around a birdbath, reflection pond, or water fountain. You can also mix it up and make it more informal. A patchwork of brick and stone or brick and tile is very interesting. You leave spaces of about an inch between the bricks so that moss can grow. You can also plant creeping thyme or some other fragrant plant that will provide a little unexpected pleasant aroma when stepped on. (Caution: Moss and other plants can be slippery, so don’t use this application on steps.)
The look you are trying to achieve will direct the method of laying brick. If you are looking for a worn and used-looking path, you can lay a brick walkway right on the soil without a foundation. It will start to shift and tilt, especially with winter freezing. If you are looking for a clean, flat surface without a brick out of place, then using a bricklayer is going to be your best bet.
If you’d like to add some brickwork to your yard, call our Minneapolis area landscape designers today at 952-292-7717
952-292-7717.
