Strolls and Saunters: Planning Your Garden's Route

A path directs visitors to your garden's best views while also protecting plantings and other features. Here, we share some ideas on how to choose the best route to compliment your garden.

Excerpted from Garden Design

Circular Paths

A circular path takes you on a continuous journey around the garden. It can be planned to provide alternate views of key features and different elements, depending on the direction of travel.

Roam Free

Random paving with planted crevices creates a pleasantly chaotic, informal design. With no defined route, the eye and body can move in several directions across the whole area.

Secondary Paths

While primary routes determine the style of a garden, secondary routes are fairly practical, providing access to areas visited less frequently - a seating area, shed or compost pile. They can also lead you off the main path on little detour to a concealed corner. They can even cut through large flower beds, allowing you to experience colors and scents up close. These routes do not need to be as durable as main paths, although they should be subtly incorporated into the design; they can often be created from softer, organic materials or mowed through an area of grass. Secondary routes can be obvious or hidden in some way, either deliberately behind planting or concealed within the design.

Although they have their place, be careful to not over-use secondary paths; doing so can create a confusing maze that makes the design look sloppy and unintentional.