Wood Chipped Mulched Garden Beds

I'm a big fan of applying wood chip mulch to almost every garden. I prefer it for pathways as well as to cover beds as it helps facilitate the growth of beneficial fungal networks in the soil. So rather than a sterilized gravel or otherwise paved system of pathways, I like to either have plain mulch, or if steps are needed, rings of logs work well or more traditional stone pavers. The point is, if you can minimize the "dead" hardscaping elements, you make more room for life to colonize every square inch possible.