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Up the<br />
garden path<br />
65<br />
Award Winner<br />
by Angie Barker<br />
I realise at this time of year most of us will<br />
not be thinking about our gardens, but<br />
rather racking our brains to come up with<br />
some original gift ideas. (Hubby take note!)<br />
However this time of year really is a great<br />
time to think about the structure in our<br />
gardens and how we can improve it so that<br />
we get better use and more enjoyment from<br />
our outside space next year.<br />
When I sit down to design a garden I think<br />
about how to create a sense of journey<br />
through the space, no matter how big or<br />
small it is. This will draw you out into the<br />
garden to explore it and will make it more<br />
interesting and the right path is a key design<br />
consideration.<br />
The first decision is to consider whether you go for straight<br />
or curved, or a combination of the two. Curved paths bring<br />
a sense of calm to a space and slow you down so that you<br />
tend to take more time looking at the garden as you walk<br />
around it and suits cottage garden schemes. Straight<br />
paths bring a sense of the contemporary to a space and<br />
create strong clean lines in a design. They can also be<br />
successfully used in formal gardens. Practical issues also<br />
need consideration. A curved path to a children’s play area<br />
or a shed may not be practical as in these situations you<br />
would want to take the quickest route.<br />
The second consideration is what material to build<br />
your path out of. They can be attractive additions to<br />
a garden scheme and whether you decide on natural<br />
paving, porcelain tiles, smooth concrete, setts or brick,<br />
the detail can be important so consider it as much as<br />
the overall plan of the garden. Bound resin is also a good<br />
choice where there are mobility issues. Gravel and slate<br />
chippings are cost effective options but in most cases will<br />
need an edging to stop the aggregate spilling over on to<br />
borders or lawn.<br />
Getting back to gift ideas, Hubby here are some hints - not<br />
very subtle ones - a bottle of fizz (preferably Champagne<br />
and the pink variety) a good gardening book, new pjs<br />
and I’ll be a happy lady. Enjoy the forthcoming festivities<br />
everyone and here’s to a new gardening year filled with<br />
possibilities.<br />
Angie is a qualified awardwinning<br />
garden designer<br />
who will plan your garden<br />
to your needs from start to<br />
finish, supplying reputable<br />
contractors and the ideal<br />
plants.<br />
Call Angie now for your free consultation!<br />
Angie Barker Dip GD (Inst GD) BA (Hons)<br />
Garden Design For All Seasons<br />
Tel: 01942 522 405<br />
Mob: 07857 008 383<br />
www.angiebarker.co.uk<br />
Award Winner
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