Paths are a way to get from point A to point B – but they can be so much more than that. A gently curving path in a landscape will offer a destination. This will help make the landscape seem larger than it actually is. A bonus for homes with smaller yards.
Why A Destination in the Landscape
Destination is defined as, “A set point for the end of a journey.”
We are also reminded by popular culture that, “Where ever you go, there you are.” This concept highlights that we always take ourselves with ourselves, and that the journey is more important than the destination. One place where both of these sayings are equally true is in the landscape.
A good landscape design needs an accent, something to focus the eye on. A “destination” for the eyes, if you will. Without a destination for the eyes, your eyes will wander restlessly around the landscape, ultimately creating a sense of unease in the observer.
Many new homes have tiny yards, thus it’s difficult to have an accent or eye destination and still have room for the patio furniture and a bird feeder or two. The solution to this problem is to add a path. There does not need to be an actual destination for the path. Merely the hint of a place to go can be enough to settle the space and provide a destination for the eyes.
Invite Exploration
Paths invite exploration. Paths curving out of sight around a planting bed or around the side of the house create a sense of mystery. This sense of mystery is enticing and interesting, and can be very useful as you turn your yard into a place where you want to spend more time.
Note that I said a path “curving out of sight.” A straight line is viewed quickly. A curving line will slow the eye down. A meandering country lane rather than a freeway so to speak.
Path Materials
A wide variety of material can be used to create your path. Paths can be made of flagstones, flat rocks, stepping stones, bricks, pebbles, gravel, masonry, wood, concrete, artificial materials, some or all of the above, or plain soil bounded by rocks or other decorative elements. The cracks between the paving materials can be planted with low ground covers like maybe thyme, germander, oregano, verbena, phyla, golden dyssodia, or other plants that stay six inches or less tall. Bonus to the fragrant herbs is that they are rampant growers and when they over grow onto the walkway, they smell nice as you step on them.
Choosing Materials
Consider the site from all aspects before choosing both the material for the path, and the placement of the path. Look up. Do the roofs or scuppers drain onto where you want to place your path? Look down. Is there a slope in the site of your future path? Are there any low spots where puddles may occur?
Consider use. Will this path be decorative only, or will it also lead to a garden shed, trash containers, or the fuse box? Do you have pets that will use the path?
All this information will factor into selection of placement and materials used for building the path. A regularly used path should be of more durable and easily traveled materials like flagstone or concrete. A rarely traveled path could be stepping stones or stabilized earth.
Pet paths should be of a material that will not burn tender pads in the summer heat.
Drainage
While it may sound odd to worry about drainage in the the Southwest, a region known for its aridity, our rains do have impact. A summer monsoon rain can dump hundreds of gallons on your roof, which could wash away lighter weight or un-anchored path materials, especially if your potential pathway has a slope to it. If your path does not drain well, puddles and debris on the path can be irksome.
Length of Use
One last item to consider is – how long you will remain in your home and how often do you like to redecorate? For longer stays and a personality that doesn’t like to rearrange the furniture, then go ahead and put in a more durable path.
If you plan to age in place, consider a path that is 36 inches (3 feet) wide and solid, to accommodate walkers and wheelchairs.
Journey and Destination
Author Ursula K. LeGuin said, “It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.” Let your landscape include paths, and it will become a more enticing place to spend time in as you journey through life.
Butterfly Plant Book – For AZ, NV, NM
Because native cotton is a host plant for lepidoptera – consider how to grow other butterfly plants with my book Butterfly Gardening in Southern Arizona, Revised Edition.
It says “southern Arizona” because I am nerdily precise, and when I first wrote it I had not done enough research on other parts of the Southwest. I now know that the plants discussed in this handy guide will grow in Southern Nevada, Eastern California, Across the deserts of Arizona, into Southern New Mexico, and through Big Bend into the Texas Hill Country.
Published by locally by Tierra del Sol Institute – whose mission statement is “Helping people live in harmony with their environment.” All the profits from the sale of the book go to their Horticulture Therapy programs.
Note. This slender volume was printed in Tucson by Arizona Litographers, the first ever printing press in America to be run entirely on green energy. They have won awards for their efforts to reduce impact upon the earth, and thus fit well with the Tierra del Sol mission to help people live more lightly on this earth.
Legal
© Article copyright Jacqueline A. Soule. All rights reserved. You must ask permission to republish an entire blog post or article. Okay to use a short excerpt but you must give proper credit. You must also include a link to the original post on my site. No stealing photos.
I loved this, thank you. Pathways are a must for most gardens and make a big difference so these are really good things to consider when planning. Paths can also create planting areas alongside of them to make a home for fragrant plants that release scent when brushed up against, or obscure the view ahead, adding to that wonderful sense of mystery you described!