Bricks, Cobbles and Stones ; No Matter the Material, Paths Are an Asset to Any Garden

There's a good reason Scott Washburn says the stepping stones on the path alongside his house are randomly placed.

"You want to space them so it slows you down. It encourages you to look at the garden," he said.

If you think gardeners can really get talking about their flower beds and shade gardens, just ask them about the paths that lead up to, around and through them.

They'll tell you all about what a path can do for a garden -- besides giving people a place to walk, that is.

"A path creates a mood or feeling for a space," said Rochelle Smith, horticulture instructor of landscape design at Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua.

"Part of it is the material chosen -- both its color and texture - - and part of it also is how the plants relate to the path. Are they clipped back with a nice edge in a more formal style? Or are they uneven and more natural -- where the garden flows into the path?" she said.

Anyone who visited a local garden tour this season, including last month's Garden Walk Buffalo, saw many kinds of garden paths, of many different materials and sizes. There were pavers, flagstones, bricks, shale, slate, pea gravel, mulch, wood and more -- often used in eye-catching combinations.

Some gardeners bought the materials from a nursery or stone business; others collected them from lakes and streams. Others did a combination of the two, often installing the paths themselves.

At the Buffalo home of Washburn and John Crawford, different pathways help create different areas ranging from formal to less formal. At the beginning of the narrow path alongside the house, large pieces of slate lead visitors to a section of more randomly placed stones set in pea gravel.

This section is where they want you to slow down and enjoy the garden. The idea of placing the stones this way has roots in feng shui, Washburn said.

"We found most of the stones in area creeks -- wherever we could get close enough with a wagon and pickup truck. We have friends in Zoar Valley, which is where we found many of them," Washburn said.

In the more formal back yard Japanese garden, flagstones of many shapes are found underfoot, arranged to create a smooth, almost solid surface. Washburn and Crawford purchased a pallet of them and "started to piece them together like a puzzle," said Washburn, who runs an upholstery and design services business.

When it comes to designing a path, Rochelle Smith said that its width also is very important.

"A narrow path gives an intimate feel to the space. It is your space as opposed to a big public space," said Smith, who lectures locally on a wide range of horticulture topics, including one she calls Garden Path-ology -- the study of garden paths.

"The other thing is whether the path is straight or curvy. Is it in a straight line so you can see the whole length? If not, that sets a mood of mystery or surprise. What is around the corner?" she said.

Such is the case of the paths Mike Pasqualichio designed and put down at the Grand Island home he shares with his wife, Debbie. They have lived there 19 years.

Paths lead everywhere in the wooded backyard, with its lush shade gardens and private eating areas. After tackling the enormous chore of clearing some of the trees and brush, Pasqualichio planted extensive beds and designed and laid the paths.

The paths have a base layer of pea gravel, which he shoveled in by wheelbarrow.

"We had four different deliveries of pea gravel, and each one was five to seven yards," he said.

He then added large blue tumblestones to the pea gravel, starting with the largest ones near the start of the paths. Pieces of granite line the paths, and piles of stones -- collected from the shores of Lake Ontario -- add visual interest alongside the shade gardens.

"I like the natural look. With the natural look, anything goes. You can't make a mistake," said Pasqualichio, a retired systems analyst who loves to garden.

With a more formal, very neatly laid path, however, any little misplaced stone can throw the whole look off, he said.

One path leads to two tables -- a rectangular one that seats six; another smaller round one for four. Low-voltage lighting and a garden lamp post provide illumination at night.

"I like the look of the paths leading through the woods," Pasqualichio said.

When it comes to garden paths, people do not have to go overboard, Smith said.

"You can even have just a mulch path. I tell people to use a different color than the mulch in your garden," said Smith. That sets the path apart.

"A mulch path is a very easy way to protect the soil and lend access to the garden without massive labor. Later, if you have the time and finances, you can add other materials such as stepping stones or boards or whatever it is you want to use," she said.

e-mail: smartin@buffnews.com

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>Taking the right path

A few other path notes from Rochelle Smith:

* Know who your user is going to be. Even private and intimate paths need to be wide enough for whoever is going to use it, and for whatever purposes (weeding, etc.)

* Your path also needs to be wide enough for your wheelbarrow so you do not damage the garden.

* An elevation change adds interest to a garden. But if you have steps, you have to think about safety.

It is more interesting and safer to have a couple of small steps instead of a single step, Smith said.

You can also add some solar or low-voltage lighting. It adds a measure of safety but also ambience in the evening, Smith said.

* Paths can be used to create or support a theme, depending on material and its placement. Boards can create a nautical effect in some formats. Randomly placed stones will stir up a rustic look.

* Get creative and have some fun with your path, Smith said. Consider lining your path with something unique, such as salvaged piece of marble.

Perhaps one of the most important messages a path sends is a welcoming one.

"The whole point of a path is to bring someone to the garden. A path gives permission. It says it is OK to walk through it," she said.

-- Susan Martin

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