"Michael" wrote in message
...
Hello,

My garden is aprox 70ft by 30ft which I try and keep tidy ,using a rake to
keep it looking OK after walking on it etc.

Sometimes elderly relatives visit and can't see the plants clearly enough
and for safety reasons want a walkway. There preferred method is
compacting
the soil on the garden to make a path which in the past has got covered in
weeds, but served its purpose.

I am thinking about alternatives to this but don't want grass or paving
slabs as I haven't had much success with these methods . I was thinking of
something that could be planted (as a path) low maintenance,would keep to
the area planted and not suffer too much with people occasionally walking
over it !

The soil is clay and not very good drainage , but gets sun all day.
I think you might have problems. When it rains, compacted clay will get
very slippery. Have you considered some kind of roll out stuff made from
plastic which you can take up when they have gone? Or go for a path made
from bark chippings. The best solution for safety for elderly relatives
might still be a concrete path of some sort. You could always plant
something like lavender at the sides so it sprawls over the edges to soften
them a bit and they smell wonderful when brushed against.