The Art of Circulation Design
The way you move through a garden is as important as the plants you encounter along the way.
“Horticultural excellence in the garden can never compensate for a fundamentally bad layout”. In his book, Gardens Are for People”, Thomas Church says it all with this statement. As gardeners, we have typically focused on plants but sometimes we need to zoom out and look at the bigger picture. Have you ever experienced a garden that “didn’t work”? While there may have been plenty of color and fun plants to photograph, the overall layout may have left you confused or anxious to move on.
That garden may have suffered from one simple drawback, functional and appealing circulation design. If a visitor to the garden has trouble moving from point A to point B and should logically do so, the basic design may need to be reevaluated.
Think Flow
Whenever I design a garden there seems to be a specific sequence of events. First, I consider the major uses of the “rooms” of the garden. Is this to be an active play area, a place to tinker or cut flowers, or a shady dell in which to chill in the hammock and dream? Once I’ve determined this I begin to think of major focal points within that room: a water feature, a piece of sculpture, a specimen plant, etc. Next comes the part of the design process I enjoy most, circulation. How can I connect these different rooms? Maybe there should be no connection but heavy screening instead. It isn’t until I’ve worked out all of this that I begin thinking of plant specifics or the “icing on the cake”.
I love this stone path in a garden very near to our house. A local flagstone with dwarf mondo grass in the gaps makes a beautiful combination.
Hierarchy of Circulation
A woodland path and a main entry are used for different purposes and their design and material selections should reflect this. If the path of circulation is to be a major feature that is to be used frequently, think wide with a hard, smooth surface. Ninety-plus percent of the entry walks to a front door are 3’ concrete walks but they don’t have to be that way. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a walk that doesn’t require folks to approach single file? When laying out a hardscape feature (walks, decks, and such), it is always better to be too generous than too skimpy.
Also, think about the materials. Crushed stone makes for a better garden path than it does entry. I’ve also seen people use stepping stones for their main entry and it is never successful. Major, high-use arteries should be made of solid, durable materials (brick, stone, concrete) and these should also be very slightly pitched (sloped) so they drain water. Woodland paths, however, should be narrower and constructed of less formal materials like mulch or crushed stone. I’ve got some paths in our garden that are just wide enough for a wheelbarrow and me, maybe 14” wide.
Not all connections need to be paved.
Changes in Elevation
Unless your garden is in Iowa, there is a pretty good chance that your paths will have some slope. ADA ramps are a whole different topic that I’ll address when talking about public spaces but if you find yourself in need of some steps, remember the magic formula: 2 x riser (the vertical part of the step) + the tread (the flat part where you put your foot) should equal about 26”. This means if you want treads to be generous, maybe 14”, your risers should be 6”. Another way to think of this is to consider steps going up to an attic versus steps in a courtyard.
I’ve seen folks use crushed stone and gravel on sloped land only to find it slough off to the lowlands after a few rains. These materials are great in that they are cheap and drain nicely but they should be used primarily on level ground and with some type of border (steel edging) to keep them contained.
To Curve or Not to Curve?
Just because you may have read that “curves are relaxing and soften the design” this doesn’t mean they are the only solution. I’ve seen many situations where simple, straight lines are best. If the surrounding architecture is contemporary or formal and the space is limited, a geometric or angular approach may be better. It may look forced to plop down an arbitrary curve that has no relation to the rest of the design. If you do use curves, don’t go nuts. I’ve seen front entry walks that were less than 30 feet in length and they had way too many curves in them. Not only did they look like they were constructed during the happiest of happy hours, but you would have had to also be at that happy hour just to navigate!
Connecting to Neighbors
I consider myself SO lucky to have fantastic neighbors. Some of them have changed in the many years we’ve been in our house and fortunately, I still have paths that lead to each adjacent garden. If you find yourself equally lucky, consider allowing some of your circulation to do something similar. I guess if the day comes and we find ourselves living next to some that don’t quite mesh with our quirkiness, then we may have to make some adjustments but for now, keep those connections a possibility.
This connection between us and our neighbor provides a nice shortcut to both front doors.
Lighting
Yep! See my writing on this subject for more info. Needless to say, keep yourself and any guests safe as they move about your garden. https://garrymenendez.com/get-out-of-the-dark/
Good circulation design is a key part of any garden design. It should be considered in the earliest part of the planning process. If you view it as a key piece of the garden design puzzle, there is little doubt that you will have not only a beautiful result but one that is functional as well.
Even in winter, logical connections make good garden sense.