Lost Horizons Nursery, Acton Ontario.
"May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day. May songbirds serenade your every step along the way. May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that is always blue. And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through." Old Irish Blessing.
The plan of Larkwhistle Garden from the book The Art of Perennial Gardening by Patrick Lima,
Photographs by John Scanlan, Published by Firefly Books in 2000.
If you look at this drawing of Larkwhistle Garden or at the layout for David Tomlinson's garden called Merlin's Hollow, you will notice that the pathways make up the skeleton or framework for each garden. Pathways link each of these gardens into a cohesive whole.
Merlin's Hollow Garden Plan
With a pathway, a gardener channels visitors through a garden. How a garden is viewed is determined, to some degree, by the nature and even the shape of a path.
Lost Horizons Nursery, Acton Ontario.
You are more likely to motor down a straight path...
Lost Horizons Nursery, Acton Ontario.
than one that twists and turns.
Merlin's Hollow, Aurora Ontario.
How wide should a path be?
I personally think that the spacing needs to feel comfortable, not claustrophobic. If a pathway is tight, a visitor has to pay too much heed to each footstep and this can distract from all the visual delights along a path's length.
Brain Folmer's Botanical Gardens near Walkerton, Ontario.
So, what about materials?
Even an ordinary lawn can function as a pathway between plantings.
Pea gravel is a nice option that has a pleasant crunch underfoot.
Larkwhistle Garden, on the Bruce Peninsula.
This garden has a hard-packed combination of sand and very fine gravel.
Private garden, Mississauga, Ontario.
Flagstone is a classic choice.
(Note here that the gardener here has continued the flagstone onto the lawn and around to the front of the house. In doing so, he saves wear and tear on the grass by directing visitors away from cutting across the lawn.)
Private garden, Mississauga, Ontario.
Stonework is more costly and requires a greater degree of skill to install, but is hard-wearing option
and it looks incredible doesn't it?
Private garden, Mississauga, Ontario.
Mulch is yet another alternative and is softer underfoot. It also helps to create a nice woodland effect.
Private garden, Mississauga, Ontario.
Of course, you can always combine pathway materials. Here we have mulch combined with flagstone.
Private garden, Mississauga, Ontario.
Pea gravel and flagstone.
Moss and flagstone.
(Deborah of Deb's Garden Blog has written a wonderful post on creating a moss pathway. She has a spectacular woodland garden that you should definitely check out.)
Edwards Gardens, Toronto.
Plantings along a path can be crisp and tidy.
Private garden, Mississauga, Ontario.
Brain Folmer's Botanical Gardens near Walkerton, Ontario.
Or they can be uneven and more natural.
Brain Folmer's Botanical Gardens near Walkerton, Ontario.
In the end, it comes down to the overall look and feeling you are after.
I hope you feel as inspired by these gardens as I do. Have a great weekend!
