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easy access
Whether your garden is large or small, you need to be able to get into it without crushing plants, compacting soil and stepping on dormant bulbs or new transplants. Here are some ideas for working an access path into your garden design.
BIG AND BEAUTIFUL — Large gardens, like the one you see here, give you more options. One option is to make an access path through the garden. But if you have the room, why not place it in back? That way, you’re not walking on the soil in the growing area as much. And a path hidden by plants doesn’t have to look as good as the garden around it. Cover the soil with pea gravel, bark mulch, a few concrete steppers or even a board — whatever keeps your feet dry and doesn’t cost a lot.
SMALL STEPS — In a small cutting garden a few strategically placed steppers do the trick. Because they’re visible, choose something colorful or with a pattern that complements your garden style. Then they’ll not only be practical, they’ll be pretty, too.
Placing the entrance to the side makes it less conspicuous. A width of 2 to 3 ft. should provide enough room to work. After all, you might want to bring a load of compost in or haul a bunch of clippings out so you want your wheelbarrow to fit easily down the path, too.
