Garden Paths

Story by: Will Funk - Photos by: Gene Sasse
 

One of the best ways to enjoy your favorite roses is to wander along a path surrounded by heavenly scents and a cascade of color.  With a little planning, a pleasant path will help you along this journey without the risk of catching your clothing (or worse!) on a thorny cane. 

A well though out path not only allows a gardener to enjoy their roses but it also helps to allow access for watering, dead-heading and other maintenance tasks.  Although there are many types of paths, from formal concrete runways to casual, meandering dirt trails all serve a valuable purpose, allowing rose lovers to enjoy and maintain our gardens.
 

When planning for a pathway in your garden there are several considerations.  First, are you seeking a formal or casual walkway?  Larger gardens allow for wider walkways, often surfaced with either concrete or stonework.  Formal walkways often use straight lines, providing a more refined feel for the garden.  This style of garden works well for entertaining, allowing guests to roam the grounds while conversing with other guests.

If you have a smaller garden or simply desire a more romantic feel then a narrower path with curving lines may suite your tastes.  By winding an intimate course through your roses you can make your garden seem larger as your stroll through your flowering floribundas.  These less formal paths are often carpeted in more casual materials such as decomposed granite or wood chips.  Although these materials act as a natural deterrent to weeds it is recommended that you place a layer of weed block fabric down before laying your material.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

You can also combine the two styles with wider, more formal walkways mixed with smaller pathways leading into your beds.  Providing a surprise such as a fountain or other garden art along the interior paths enhances the experience for both you and your guests. 

The different colors of the pathway surfaces can also be used to create a design element in your garden.  Different shades of bark or pavers can create pleasant lines to compliment your roses and other plantings.  Remember that your bark may need refreshing each season or you may allow it to age naturally, creating a more rustic feel.

Edging material is another choice when planning your paths.  Some paths may not need any type of formal edging material.  You may even allow your border plants, rose or other complimentary

 

varieties, to encroach onto the path creating their own edging.  Narrow walkways may benefit from some type of structural element both the keep the path material in and to keep the walkway open enough for travel.  Everything from bricks to roof shingles, cut in half and tapped into the ground, can work well along the edge of your walkway.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

So as you look for ways to improve your garden this season consider planning for a path or walkway into your stunning display of roses.  You may renew your appreciation for roses that you tucked into the back of your garden years ago but only admire from afar.  You may also find space for a few new miniatures along the path.  And you may find that you can accomplish all of your chores with less snags from for the beautiful but sometimes pesky canes!