Few elements of landscape design add as much function and allure as a garden path. Whether a straight path of least resistance or a curvilinear trail, formal or informal, hard or soft underfoot, a path leads us on.
The best paths extend invitations to garden destinations: a fountain, a sculpture, a bench, a view.
“Creating a path with a destination in the garden — that’s fantastic. It can be as simple as a bench — a place to go, stop and enjoy the space, ”
People often get restricted to just their patio, but a path pulls you out there where you can enjoy the garden more.
Another great destination is a viewing area. If you have a view from your yard, but not from the house, you can create a path to the view. It’s very inviting.
A path’s obvious purpose is to provide a route from one place to another. Yet sometimes paths cater more to the eyes than the feet. And a path’s form needn’t always follow function.
A lot is visual. Paths break up a space or make it more dynamic. We occasionally design a path that is not used just to create some interest. We might add slate stepping-stones flowing through a garden. You could walk on them, but they’re not necessarily to get people from the street to the gate.
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