Walkways are the link between different parts of the garden. It is important to choose the right plants that will give character to your pathways while gracefully accentuating them.
Choosing plants
The choice of plants that you will install along your pathway will depend on several criteria, notably the climate and exposure of the area to be landscaped.
Always choose plants that are adapted to your soil and that will be able to withstand the situation of your garden. Prefer perennials, so you will obtain a long-lasting decoration.
The best plants to border a path
There are many plants that will perfectly accentuate your pathways, depending on the style you wish to evoke.
To create a natural, low-maintenance setting, consider grasses. Panicums and Stipas are perfect for this purpose, their light foliage and beautiful, long-lasting feathery inflorescences make them the perfect choice for the edge of your driveway, especially if your soil is well-drained and the exposure is sunny. The blue fescue with its ball shape and its particular color will offer a dream setting and will easily find its place in the most contemporary gardens.
The perennial geranium is covered with flowers from May to the first frost. Once again, it is a perennial plant that is very easy to grow. Once well installed, it requires very little watering and it will suffice to cut back the clump in the fall. The variety 'Johnson blue' with its beautiful blue flowers is a must in the garden.
In southern gardens and in light and poor soil, Helichrysum can be considered. In full sun it produces golden yellow flowers and gives off a very characteristic curry scent.
Taller, since it can reach 1,5 m height, the perovskia adapts to almost all situations. It can be used to create borders for paths that are both wild and intimate. At its foot, you can plant bulbs of daffodils or tulips that will open the season with their colorful blooms.
For a beautifully highlighted walkway, think of the graphic foliage of Iris germanica, which give a certain verticality to the walkway. The color palette of the flowers ranges from pure white to black and every shade in the light spectrum. Often velvety in appearance, sometimes deliciously fragrant, these plants are ideal for edging walkways.
For those who prefer a formal garden, consider boxwood, which can form beautiful linear paths with geometric shapes. This plant can withstand pruning and will require very little watering once it is well established.
To create a very English walkway, mix various plants of different heights and colors. Taller plants such as delphiniums, hollyhocks or peonies will be placed in the background while smaller ones such as Ajugas reptans, silver baskets or ophiopogons will be placed at the edge of the path. A romantic look is guaranteed!
