They create a kind of journey with a final destination.  Garden designer Julie Moir Massey of Wellesley Mass., suggests there are four basic elements of any garden journey: a point of entry, an area that signals a start; a path that sets the tone; various events along the way comprised of plant material, hardscapes, and accents; and a final destination such as a house front door, a sitting area, or water feature. The length of the journey and elements selected to make up that journey depend entirely upon the structure of the house on the property, the size of the property, the priorities of the property owner and the goals and personality of the owner.

In this article I would like you to consider the fundamental element that leads you on the journey…the pathway. There is nothing like a garden path to give character and charm to a garden area, no matter what the theme. It may be something as simple as large bluestone pieces set within an open mulch area of a perennial garden inviting you to lounge a bit in Adirondack chairs. The set stones and garden bed edge clearly designate the point of entry, the irregular shape of the stones suggest casual, flowers at each side are events on the short path, and the chairs the final destination.  

My favorite choice of material for garden pathways is stone. I have always had this love of stone and frequently incorporate it into my garden designs. To me, nothing adds more character than that. Certainly there is a host of other popular material out there. Gravel paths offer a casual pathway. But gravel tends to migrate beyond the desired path. It often tracks into the house on the soles of shoes. Lawn pathways are pleasant on the eye, but offer higher maintenance. After rainfall they get soggy, the need weekly mowing and monthly edging, and of course the soil amendment upkeep and chance for area compression. Pressure treated wood borders often used in conjunction with these types of paths rot over time. With proper site preparation and installation, stone paths are very low maintenance.  They help to control erosion, hold down dust and provide a very durable walking surface.

My introduction to the elements of garden pathways came from the renowned garden designer/lecturer/author Gordon Hayward. Attending one of his garden seminars in 2004 I found someone who revered stone in gardens as much as I. Mr. Hayward summed up his perspective on using stone for garden pathways as: “If any sign shows that gardening has truly gotten under your skin, it’s when you put down your first stone path. You are making a long term commitment to your home and its garden.” (G. Hayward 2001).

Stone as a long term commitment does necessitate doing it right the first time. So what is it you need to consider when creating a garden path on your property?  First decide how formal or informal you wish your path to be. Certain walkway material will lend itself to this.  If you are looking for a formal look you would choose from manufactured interlocking bricks, cut geometric shapes of bluestone, sandstone, limestone, granite or marble. These are usually set tightly together with straight edged areas, or evenly cut curves. Less formal use of these materials (exclusive of manufactured interlock block) can be achieved by selecting irregular shaped pieces.

These are generally 1-2 inch thick and come from the quarry without being cut to form geometric shapes. You generally set these irregular pieces further apart. They really give character to your path and lend themselves to broad path curves. I generally stay away from straight pathways.

Although many will argue that straight dictates formality, I find a little curve with plant material offsets all the linear lines of your house or out building on the property.

By far one of my favorite pathway materials considered to be the least formal is fieldstone. I use palettes of fieldstone as walkways and complimentary wall areas.  They have a rougher texture and come in a variety of shapes and thickness on the palette. Putting down a fieldstone pathway becomes jigsaw-like. You fit the pieces together to form your desired surface much like a puzzle.

As a result you can achieve a natural looking path and garden. Setting your stones farther apart gives you the opportunity to introduce creeping plant material. Some very common walkway plants include creeping jenny, periwinkle, and moss. You will even find perennial “steppable plants” at your some local nurseries. These come in small containers ready to plant within your pathways.

To finish off your garden pathway, you need to consider the mood you wish to create along and within that path.  If you have selected more formal stone material you would choose stately trees, and shrubs that lend themselves to shaping. If your pathway is less formal, perennials of various height, texture and seasonal appeal are good choices. But keep in mind their growing patterns.

High growing plants at the walkway border can often flop into the walkway and kill the appeal. It just looks messy versus informal. Think of positioning plants to support one another nearby and consider lower border plants at pathway edges.

Whatever your garden journey, a stone pathway offers a low maintenance, durable character accent to any property. If you would like to explore stone varieties, consider a trip to see Tim or Shane at Saratoga Masonry right here in Saratoga Springs. You can see first hand the pathway materials I have mentioned. Looking for additional design inspiration? I highly recommend any of Gordon Hayward’s gardening books.

Sue Ann DuBois is a Master Gardener and partner to the husband-wife team of Chips Landscaping. She designs, constructs, and maintains outdoor landscape, water gardens, and landscape watering systems. Chips Landscaping is an Aquascape® trained water garden contractor and member of the Aquascape® Water Garden Excellence Partnership. For more information visit: www.chipslandscaping.net.