Down the garden path

I’ve become slightly obsessed with garden paths. Our original intention in the kitchen garden was to use bark, but we plumped for shingle in the end on the basis that it might deter slug and snails and also that it sounds so nice and country when you crunch about on it. It’s a decision we’ve yet to regret. But enough about the path materials, let’s talk about the path directions.

I’ve tried to reorganise our original layout so that it’s made up of paths that actually have a destination rather than just that meander meaninglessly about. The front part of the kitchen garden where there are no beds has long been a part of concern simply because I was slightly daunted by what to do with all that space! I think I’ve cracked it now, and a big part of the design was the continuation of the path from the polytunnel down to the steps and arch. The path was finished last weekend and I’m gobsmacked at how a simple line of shingle suddenly brings everything together. We still need to work out the berry and cutting beds on either side of it, but I’m really pleased that we can now walk straight in. It’s taken months to get this far on this project. I think we really underestimated how much work it’d take, but I’m so pleased with it and think it was really worthwhile. It’s a place that I love to be in and find aesthetically pleasing as well as useful.