Gone Gardenin’ — Pathways in the garden

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/06/2018 (2732 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Many design elements are effective in enhancing the landscape, but few have the impact of a well planned and carefully maintained garden path. Pathways in the garden are at once utilitarian and decorative, but it is while serving the latter purpose that they can add a unifying element to the garden, evoke a sense of permanence, create an air of mystery, and serve to lead the eye of the viewer gently into the garden.

Although a pathway can accomplish all of those things, to appear like it belongs in the landscape in the first place, a path must serve an obvious purpose or appear to do so. Therefore a pathway must have a destination that makes sense and is obvious. It might lead to the garage door, meander up to the garden shed or take you directly to the vegetable plot.

Garden designers, however, can use their skill to give the pathway a purpose that is actually not a real destination at all but appears to be. Such a “created” destination might be a birdbath, a bench, or a wishing well and the pathway merely winds its way to that object, placed in that exact location just to give the pathway purpose.

A pathway can simply serve the purpose of meandering between or through – flower borders, allowing one to wander about the garden and view the plants while still having a suitable material underfoot. For those gardeners who have ample space, there is nothing more appealing than a large cultivated area planted with flowers, shrubs and vegetables with meandering pathways throughout the space leading to the various areas of the garden.

Paths can be formal or informal: formal walkways are often created from hardscape material such a brick or concrete while informal pathways are usually composed of natural materials such as grass, a ground cover plant such as common thyme, or shredded bark. Part of what makes a pathway formal is its edges.

If the edging is crisp and clean, such as that of a brick pathway or a crisply edged grass path (although natural materials, such as grass, contribute to a more informal style), then the path will appear more formal than a path with a more uneven edges such as one composed of common thyme or shredded bark. Maintenance of a formal pathway is vital to keep it in pristine condition.

A pathway can be appreciated if it can be viewed from end to end because the eye is lead through the garden by following the line of the pathway. However, a sense of mystery can be created in the garden by having the pathway disappear around a curve or through a vine-covered arbor so that one wonders where the pathway leads what lies just beyond the bend is hidden and creates that sense of mystery.

Although more than one pathway can be included in the landscape, care must be taken not to have too many paths or the landscape will appear to be cut up and disjointed. All the paths in the garden or at least those in each section of the garden – should be made of similar materials to achieve a sense of unity.

Utilitarian walkways in high traffic areas, such as the walkway from the driveway to the main entrance, are best made of hardscape material to facilitate foot traffic, provide handicap accessibility and allow for ease of snow removal. Many other materials would not stand up to heavy traffic.

There are places in the landscape where paths must be in straight lines, but as a general rule if a path has a curving line it will be more attractive. The curves in the serpentine line, however, must be gentle enough so that anyone walking down the path will be able to walk in a more or less straight line to get to the destination.

There are many alternatives when choosing pathway materials. Here are a few options:

MATERIALS TO CREATE PATHWAYS

1. Natural materials: (a) Grass (sod creates an instant path) (b) Shredded bark (can be colored) (c) Grass clippings (d) Flax chives (e) Common thyme (only for low traffic paths)

2. Hardscape materials: (a) interlocking brick (b) reclaimed brick (rustic) (c) concrete/asphalt ( can be colored and/or textured) (d) Stepping stones/ flagstones

3. Natural and hardscape materials combined: a. Flagstones or stepping stones set into sod b. Concrete pavers separated by pieces of sod, creating a checkerboard look c. Crushed rock (it travels and is hard to walk on, so only for low traffic paths) d. Pavers/stepping stones with ground covers between them.

***Several of the above materials should have sturdy landscape fabric installed underneath them to prevent weeds and grass from growing up through the pathway material.

Creating a pathway need not be a major undertaking; simply setting round stepping stones into the turf in an attractive serpentine line leading to the birdbath makes a simple yet effective path. Perhaps you will install an attractive pathway in your garden this summer.

Albert Parsons lives, writes, and gardens in Minnedosa.

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