Bunny Guinness is an award-winning landscape architect and journalist with a regular gardening column in The Telegraph as well as being a regular on BBC's Gardeners Question Time with 6 RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medals to her name - she knows a thing or two about designing and building gardens.

In this new YouTube video, Bunny Guinness discusses the different options for creating stable gravel surfaces in gardens. Whether you are creating or refurbishing a gravel path, gravel patio or gravel driveway, Bunny discusses the pros and cons of using self-binding gravel, tar and chip, stabilised gravel using Nidagravel grids and resin-bound gravel.

Self-Binding Gravel - Breedon Gravel
Self-binding gravel often referred to as Breedon gravel is not a gravel in the traditional sense. It contains limestone chippings, fines and a clay marl which bind it together when compacted. The surface is normally water rolled to cap off the surface by floating the fines to the top, which can be a bit tricky to do. It provides an attractive looking surface, but not always a practical one and it can be difficult to keep clean as Bunny points out in her video.

Tar & Gravel Chip
This type of gravel surface can only be applied to a concrete or tarmac path or driveway. So if you are installing a new driveway, for example, you need to lay the concrete or tarmac base first and then add the tar and gravel chip surface layer on top. This can be expensive and is not that eco-friendly. If you are refurbishing a concrete or tarmac driveway then this can be more cost-effective - but the surface does need to be in good condition in order for it to work as only a thin layer is applied. With all tar and gravel chip surfaces, the tar is sprayed on to the surface and loose gravel is thrown on top, which then sticks to the tar. Again, as Bunny points out, this surface will look great initially but can wear out over time.

Stabilised Gravel - Nidagravel
Nidagravel gravel stabilisation grids hold loose gravel in place within plastic honeycomb cells which are designed to be unseen when installed as the gravel grids are covered with a thin layer or surface dressing of angular gravel. As Bunny mentions - Nidagravel grids are strong, durable, effectively stabilises gravel on slopes of up to 15% or 1:6.67 and has a membrane attached to the back to inhibit weed growth. They can be laid on a standard sub-base or used to refurbish an existing tarmac or concrete path or driveway. Nidagravel is simple to install and the finished surface looks just like natural gravel but is completely stable and great on slopes.

Resin Bonded/Bound Gravel
This gravel system combines gravel with resin to stick or bind the gravel together and bond it to the surface below. The surface below, for a resin bonded driveway, is usually concrete or tarmac. As Bunny mentions in the video, this option gives a very flat and perfect looking surface and is expensive to install due to the sub-base requirements and the resin surface itself.

So in summary - there is a stable gravel option to suit every type of project depending on your budget and style preference. We are obviously a tiny bit biased towards using Nidagravel grids as we believe they offer a cost-effective solution and provide a 100% rainwater permeable and stable gravel surface using natural gravel, which is, of course, available in a wide range of colours and textures.

We were delighted to be contacted by Bunny about creating this new video for her YouTube channel and very happy to hear that she recommends Nidagravel grids to many of her clients when designing their gardens to create stable, free-draining garden paths and to stabilise their gravel driveways. Bunny Guinness has also designed 9 show gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show and won 6 gold medals. She is based at Stibberton Lodge near Peterborough and designs both private gardens and public spaces.

Why not contact Bunny Guinness to discuss your garden design or landscaping project.

Bunny Guinness Landscape Design Limited
Tel: 01780 782 518
Email: bunnyguinness@btconnect.com
Website: www.bunnyguinness.com