Now that we’re officially in summer, your tomatoes all staked and suckered, hedges properly trimmed and coiffed, it’s time to turn attention to hardscape.
It’s been said that you can have a very good garden consisting of all plants but you can’t have a great garden without hardscape, and I’d tend to agree. As much of a plant geek as I am, even I have to admit that an artfully crafted stone wall, bluestone terrace or water feature adds a touch and bit of contrast that, rather than taking away from the impact of plants, accentuates the finer features of the green bits of the garden.
And a good place to start on hardscape is with your paths.
Like most good hardscape features, paths serve both functional and aesthetic purposes in the garden. At its base level, a good path simply provides safe and stable footing to get you from here to there. When positioned just so, it can also serve as an essential design feature, leading you visually from one design element to the next, providing a sense of discovery and even slowing your pace to encourage detailed observation as you wander through the garden.
But no matter the purpose of your path, it’s only successful if it is built correctly and with the long term use in mind. Hastily built or poorly supported paths can become a maintenance headache at the least and at the worst, can be downright dangerous.
So here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your new path project.
What materials should I use for a garden hardscape path?
There’s four main types of pavers or materials you should use when building a garden path:
Natural Stone: Whether you want the formal look of square/rectangular cut stone or