Top up bark paths

Clean up bark paths by weeding and removing any vegetation, then top up with bark chips. Bark chips decompose over about five years, but are also trodden down into the soil if they are spread straight over the ground.

Put down a weed-suppressing landscape membrane to make the path cleaner and last longer. Spread a 10cm layer of bark chips on top. Wood chips work too but they don’t look as decorative as bark.

Avoid shredded bark because it’s not as tough as chips and is best used as a mulch on borders. Rake the path level to keep it comfortable to walk on.

Keep your bark path neat and easy to walk on by regularly raking it level