Planning a small paver path/patio right up against veggie beds and a new rain-garden area, and I’m trying to keep it plant-friendly, permeable, and easy to live with. I keep finding totally different advice online, so I’d love real-world tips from gardeners who mixed pavers with planting and care about soil health. Base layers for clay soil: Is an “open-graded” base (clean 3/4" gravel + chip) really better than compacted road base if I want water to soak in? Do you use a geotextile under it, or does that just trap fines and clog over time? Joints that won’t hurt nearby beds: Does polymeric sand shed water or leach anything that’s bad for soil life? If you skipped it, what worked-decomposed granite, granite fines, sharp sand, crushed shell, biochar mixed in? Any combo that stays put but still drains? Living joints: Has anyone successfully grown low, step-able plants between pavers (creeping thyme, dwarf chamomile, Irish moss, elfin thyme, scleranthus, etc.)? How wide/deep do the gaps need to be, and how do you keep them alive with weekly foot traffic and the occasional chair leg scraping around? Slope and runoff: If I pitch the surface 1 -2% toward the rain garden, will the veggie beds along the high edge miss out on water, or does moisture still move laterally under the pavers? Any simple way to catch and feed overflow to planting beds without creating a mulch-clogged channel? Heat/reflection next to plants: Do light-colored pavers reflect too much onto greens or scorch leaves, and do dark ones overheat nearby roots? What colors/textures have treated your plants the kindest? Freeze/thaw and tree roots: How do you keep a paver path stable near shallow roots without suffocating them? Do you “bridge” roots with a thicker bedding layer, or leave a loose zone? Any DIY-friendly trick that actually resists frost heave? Weeds and ants: Is polymeric sand worth it for weed/ant resistance long-term, or does it crack and become a mess? Any eco-friendly pre-emergent or joint recipe that discourages weeds but still lets water through? Winter care around edibles: What de-icer is truly safe for pavers and veggie beds-calcium magnesium acetate, potassium acetate, none at all? Does traction sand stain or just wash away? Edge restraints: What low-profile edging holds shape, doesn’t trip anyone, and still lets surface water flow into adjacent beds? “Mowing strip” idea: Has a narrow paver strip along bed edges actually helped with soil splash or slug patrol? Anyone tried adding copper tape along that edge-snake oil or noticeable difference? Maintenance reality check: How often do permeable joints need topping up or re-leveling, and what’s the weed-pull time by year two? If you’ve got photos, cross-sections, material “recipes,” or even fails to avoid (especially in heavy clay and wet winters), I’d love to learn from them before I start digging.

Outdoor Pavers

gardengeekgary

Planning a small paver path/patio right up against veggie beds and a new rain-garden area, and I’m trying to keep it plant-friendly, permeable, and easy to live with. I keep finding totally different advice online, so I’d love real-world tips from gardeners who mixed pavers with planting and care about soil health.

Base layers for clay soil: Is an “open-graded” base (clean 3/4" gravel + chip) really better than compacted road base if I want water to soak in? Do you use a geotextile under it, or does that just trap fines and clog over time?
Joints that won’t hurt nearby beds: Does polymeric sand shed water or leach anything that’s bad for soil life? If you skipped it, what worked-decomposed granite, granite fines, sharp sand, crushed shell, biochar mixed in? Any combo that stays put but still drains?
Living joints: Has anyone successfully grown low, step-able plants between pavers (creeping thyme, dwarf chamomile, Irish moss, elfin thyme, scleranthus, etc.)? How wide/deep do the gaps need to be, and how do you keep them alive with weekly foot traffic and the occasional chair leg scraping around?
Slope and runoff: If I pitch the surface ₁-2% toward the rain garden, will the veggie beds along the high edge miss out on water, or does moisture still move laterally under the pavers? Any simple way to catch and feed overflow to planting beds without creating a mulch-clogged channel?
Heat/reflection next to plants: Do light-colored pavers reflect too much onto greens or scorch leaves, and do dark ones overheat nearby roots? What colors/textures have treated your plants the kindest?
Freeze/thaw and tree roots: How do you keep a paver path stable near shallow roots without suffocating them? Do you “bridge” roots with a thicker bedding layer, or leave a loose zone? Any DIY-friendly trick that actually resists frost heave?
Weeds and ants: Is polymeric sand worth it for weed/ant resistance long-term, or does it crack and become a mess? Any eco-friendly pre-emergent or joint recipe that discourages weeds but still lets water through?
Winter care around edibles: What de-icer is truly safe for pavers and veggie beds-calcium magnesium acetate, potassium acetate, none at all? Does traction sand stain or just wash away?
Edge restraints: What low-profile edging holds shape, doesn’t trip anyone, and still lets surface water flow into adjacent beds?
“Mowing strip” idea: Has a narrow paver strip along bed edges actually helped with soil splash or slug patrol? Anyone tried adding copper tape along that edge-snake oil or noticeable difference?
Maintenance reality check: How often do permeable joints need topping up or re-leveling, and what’s the weed-pull time by year two?

If you’ve got photos, cross-sections, material “recipes,” or even fails to avoid (especially in heavy clay and wet winters), I’d love to learn from them before I start digging.