Can you use bark hunk for a pathway?

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CindyC720 Walnut Creek, CA Mar 10, 2016

First off I'm sorry that this is on the begginers thread, I wanted to put it in the design thread but it said I had to be a subscriber(?)
I am trying to tame the wild jungle that is my mother's neglected backyard and I want to make a simple pathway out to the sitting area. Nothing fancy, just cover the dirt and weeds so its not muddy. But we can't afford to purchase stones or anything like that. But we had to get a huge old dead pine tree cut down recently and have a ton of huge slabs of pine bark. Most of the pieces are 3-4 inches thick and are about a foot wide. I was thinking of taking the big hunks and using them as stepping stones for a free path solution. I know people use mulch all the time so I figured why not larger pieces but I can't find anything online of others doing the same. So is there any reason that I couldn't/shouldn't use the bark? I know over the years it will break down and whatnot (although I hear pine bark is slow to decompose) but we are looking for a quick fix that will last at least a year until we can save up a bit to get her a proper path. I'm in zone 9b if that affects anything.
Any input would be appreciated! Thanks!

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Pistil Lake Stevens, WA(Zone 8a) Mar 10, 2016

I think it's a great idea.

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nutsaboutnature Algonquin, IL(Zone 5a) Mar 10, 2016

If the slabs are 3 - 4" thick you might want to partially bury them in the dirt, otherwise it would be kind of hard to walk on the path. If you do that it should work fairly well.



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MaypopLaurel Cleveland,GA/Atlanta, GA(Zone 7b) Mar 10, 2016

They work, but it will be very temporary. When I was a kid, my mom made a great patio by getting free treated telephone poles that were being replaced and having them sawed into rounds. Those lasted many years.

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MaypopLaurel Cleveland,GA/Atlanta, GA(Zone 7b) Mar 10, 2016

I should add she placed them on a sand base and filled them in with pea gravel (small river rock).

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