Hoggin...

We were going to create our driveway out of limestone chip, as well as using limestone chip in the potager garden for the paths, and around the estate, but we have since found another material called Hoggin. Hoggin is a compactable ground cover that is composed of a mixture of clay, gravel, marble and granite chip, which produces a lovely buff coloured compacted surface. It is commonly seen in the home countries and at National Trust properties.

 

The material is aesthetically suited to older properties – as it is actually a traditional pathway and driveway material, and it is lower maintenance than limestone chip – as it doesn’t move or need raking. Also, as it is compacted, it does not produce dust like limestone gravel would.

Once laid, the surface is semi-permeable to water and therefore doesn't tend to puddle, and you don’t need drains running down the side of the driveway.

It is environmentally friendly, a lovely natural colour (less glaring than limestone chip) which blends into gardens and landscapes, and is very cost effective.

The Hoggin will be laid down over the base course of larger compacted stone we had laid down in Autumn. The base course improves the drainage and general finish. We will have stone pavers for edging / mowing strips on the driveway, and simple wooden edges for the garden paths and potager.

 Photo courtesy of Owen Chubb Garden Landscapers Ltd

The Gardeners of Worcester College have some great photos of many wonderful garden transformations they have completed, including these of some traditional Hoggin paths...

Above photos from The Gardeners of Worcester College blog.

I have also found some lovely photos of hoggin paths used in a potager / country cottage garden setting, to illustrate how the hoggin will look in our potager. They are taken from Green Frame, the blog of London Garden Designer Zinnia Mulford...