Garden of Ideas: Creating a Garden Pathway
Garden Paths: Ideas for Creating a Pathway of Beautiful Memories and Inspired Tomorrows
Looking for ideas for garden paths? Are looking to create beautiful walkways and paths that will grow over time into your personal garden paradise? Then begin by asking this one question: Where will it lead you, your garden pathway?
Is it just a way to cross your yard to get to the other side? Or are you ready to define yourself, your life and your home by creating a path that will bring inspiration, energy and inner reflection. Anyone can cross a yard and call it a path, but to "create a garden pathway" is to leave a legacy.
A garden path should be more than a cement walkway. It should reflect your relationship with nature, be harmonious with your home and most importantly a reminder to yourself to enjoy the present moment.
Take some time to reflect on what you want to create in your garden, read, cut out magazine pictures of gardens that you love, get to know your yard, feel the passion. You may have a hectic life but your garden can be your escape.
Following are a few thoughtful ideas to help you on your way for creating your personal garden pathway. Enjoy!
Imagine Your Pathway
It's Your Legacy
Right now your yard may just be a green lawn or an earthy plot, so spend some time in your yard, get to know it as if it were your artist's canvas. Imagine that you are walking on your finished garden path. Where would you plant your trees, shrubs and flowers? How would you want your path to flow? If there are low spots where water collects envision placing mosaic stepping stones there to keep your feet dry. How does the sun's light cross your garden? Where could you place a gazing ball so that the sun's light reflection sends rays of colors across your path?. Where would you place a birdbath? Thinking of a vegetable garden, where would it be best suited?
Consider designing your path to lead you to an outdoor retreat. A private refuge where you can meditate, socialize with your friends, have a romantic interlude, a picnic or read a book. Your retreat could be a hammock under a tree, a garden bench or a gazebo. It will become your "far away" place even though it may only be a few feet away from your door.
I love paths that meander like rivers with a gentle curve that takes me past beautiful plants, trees and shrubs.
I like to enjoy every moment I can while I am in my garden, reflecting upon the changing seasons, the memories of playing hide and seek with my children, the fresh scents of flowers and follage.
A curving path slows me down, enticing me to be a part of my garden, forcing me to be aware of each progressive step I take lest I walk into a tree!
The Aesthetics Of Your Garden Pathway - "Here's How to Build a Perfect Path"
Once you have an idea of how you want your garden path to flow, there are many choices of pathway materials to pick.
Do you want to go formal? Informal?
Do you want a woodland path? Or one with a spiritual feel?
Do you like Cobblestones, gravel, flagstones, groundcovers, boardwalks, wood chips, concrete pavers or railroad ties?
Do you want your path edged with soldiers (the name given for stone or brick edging)?
Click here to read a wonderful article entitled "Here's How to Build a Perfect Path" by Lynn Ocone from This Old House Magazine. Her interview with Vermont landscape designer and author Gordon Hayward gives you details on how to plot your path plus reviews the many choices you have in pathway materials. As a bonus there is a beautiful slide show of finished paths to give you even more ideas!
My Favorite Garden Pathway Book
Invest in a good garden book that will be a wonderful reference book for years. As your garden matures so will your pathway and a good garden book will enrich your imagination as to how you want to grow your garden. I bought this book a couple of years ago and I still love going through it. It helped me enormously in planning my garden pathway.
Personalizing your Path
Garden pathways are ideal for adding that personal sense of self by including pieces of sculpture, glass and ceramic art that will compliment your garden's plant and shrub designs. Garden art can enhance a garden's color theme or pattern, provide accent or focal points, and provide lifetime memories. Garden art can be used and moved as your garden grows and changes through the seasons creating different visual impacts as the sun's pattern moves.
There are many garden elements you can add to your pathway to give it your personal
touch. Consider the following:
· Stained Glass Mosaic stepping-stones are not only useful but also beautiful. From simple home made stones with imprints of your children's hand to exquisite stained glass motifs that will reflect the sun's light off their multi-colored surface.
· Glass, ceramic or steel gazing balls add color and brilliance to garden areas where there is a lot of green but little color.
· Water features such as fountains and birdbaths give a relaxing solitude to a gardens atmosphere.
· Ceramic, stone and cement sculptures can add a bit of humorous whimsy or make a refined statement.
· Windchimes, bird houses, tree lights
·
You Should Make Your Own Stepping Stones! - A Hands On Challenge!
If you truly want your yard to reflect your personality you should make your own stepping stones! Right?
Yes, they are easy, a bit messy maybe.... but remember how you loved Kindergarten?
It was just fine to walk around with paint smudges on your nose, clothes covered with mud, twigs in your hair...actually, it was down right fun! And no matter what you made, your parents loved it!
So why not try your hand at crafting a couple? Let the first be your trial and error piece, if you don't like it just turn it upside down and you will have a plain, flat, store bought looking ugly stone....or it could be a start of a new hobby, with you making beautiful one-of-a-kind stepping stones that have your unique signature!
The worst that could happen is that your stepping stones are sooooo beautiful that everyone in your family, your neighbors, your friends will want you to make them one....and they will have to wait in line because you have so many to make for yourself!
Should you make your own stepping stones?
How To Make Your Own Mosaic Stepping Stones
Creating Memories
Making Your Own Stepping Stones
One of the biggest trends in pathways and walkways today is creating your very own stepping stones. This can be a fun, creative way to personalize your home and garden area. It's also an activity that the entire family can enjoy. Personalized stepping stones can make excellent gifts for housewarmings, weddings, or birthdays. Fun and easy to make, personalized stepping stones are a great alternative to store-bought ones. To find out how to make your own stepping stones check out this free tutorial Make Stepping Stones the Easy Way
Angels, Cherubs, Fairies and Fuzzies For Your Garden - Garden Statues and Sculpture
Six Steps to Build a Pathway using Stepping Stones
Stepping stones can give a garden or yard a more natural feeling then say a cement walkway. There are a variety of commercial stones to choose from or you can make your own. Check out the following video from CBS news on how easy it is to design and create a Stepping Stone path.
- Building Backyard Paths - CBS News Video
CBS News video: Building Backyard Paths - "The Early Show" home improvement expert Danny Lipford shows Russ Mitchell what goes into building the best backyard path.
Gazing Balls to Catch the Sun's Rays
Bring Birds Into Your Garden
Bird Baths and Fountains
Light Your Way With These Solar Stepping Stones
Brighten Your Night
Articles
- Laying Down a Stone Path
Steps and pointers for laying a stone pathway. - Plants for Paths and Patio Edges
From sturdy to ornamental - Directions for making cobble stone pathways using Walk Maker reusable plastic molds by Qwikrete.
If you want to make a full sized stone pathway check out this tutorial. You could even add a mosaic design - Crafting Stained Glass Mosaic Bottles For Creative Keepsakes
Decorating glass jars and bottles is a fun, easy craft made even more enjoyable when using Stained Glass Cobbles and glass beads for embellishment. Even the simplest glass mosaic project is prized for its translucent breathtaking visual appeal.
Videos
- How to Lay a Flagstone Walkway
In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook explains how to lay a flagstone walkway. - How to Lay a Gravel Path
In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook explains how to lay a gravel path. - How to Design a Brick Walkway
In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook explains how to design a brick walkway.
