Come Walk With Me

My favorite way to begin the day is in the garden - wandering along pathways and sidewalks that lead from one garden area to another.

At the left is the first path I laid - simple round stepping stones that meander through the shade garden. The left path is strictly utilitarian - it leads to a hose bib and has no bench or other resting place along its short length. The path to the right connects the front parking area to the back garage area - a sitting area is connected to this path so we can stop and enjoy.

The brick path below is my "free" path - when we built an open patio, these pavers were the left-overs! It leads the wanderer through the Native Garden - a large planting bed full of trees native to the Lower Rio Grande Valley. It's a bit narrow - only wide enough for one person at a time - but when the trees are trimmed up, it's a smooth path for the wheelbarrow and me.

Although the planting beds on both sides still need TONS of work, this is definitely my favorite garden path. Maybe because it's the only one at my home that was professionally laid? Carrying the stone didn't suck the moisture from my hands or throw my back out of wack - so what's not to love! This is where you'll find me sipping my morning cup of tea - or strolling in the moonlight to see if the night-blooming Angel's Trumpet has blossoms.

I laid this simple flagstone path the other day - it goes from our "professional" sideway back to the potting bench. No more mud sticking to my shoes when I go back there. I know a nice layer of mulch will take care of our mud issue (and that will happen soon) - but with the flagstones, I can wander around barefoot.

. . . the bed dividers in our vegetable garden also serve as sidewalks. We placed two 2 x 12s side by side for enough width to walk comfortably.

Whatever the material, whatever the style, paths are a part of the bones of your garden. They are utilitarian, aesthetic, and entice you to wander through the plantings. Before my garden is done, I hope to have paths that wander past each and every planting bed.