Design ideas Step this way for garden designer James Alexander-Sinclair’s introduction to outdoor stairways. First, get the basics sorted and then create your very own flight of fancy

Embrace uneven landscapes, advises garden designer James Alexander-Sinclair. Those lumps and bumps are the perfect excuse for installing the steps of your dreams

In the immortal words of Led Zeppelin: ‘There’s a lady who’s sure / All that glitters is gold / And she’s buying a stairway to heaven.’ I have always imagined this staircase to be something that sashays seductively as it disappears into the cumulonimbus; it is made of fine limestone carved with mythical creatures and entwined with exotically scented flowers. One thing is for sure, this is no paltry indoor arrangement, but the spiffiest set of garden steps ever.

There are very, very few gardens without steps, even if it is only one step down from threshold to terrace. This is because the world is not, thank goodness, universally level. There will always be dips and drops, hills and hollows as we attempt to landscape our gardens to our convenience. Steps, more than any other hard landscaped feature in our gardens, have the ability to be so many things. They can be discreet and modest, coquettish, extravagant, sweeping or narrow, but whatever style you choose they all have to work. It is the perfect example of form following function: no matter how pretty a step might be, it is no use if it doesn’t get you up the hill.

First of all a lesson in anatomy: a step consists of a riser (governing the height of each step) and a tread (which covers the depth of the bit you put your foot on). In most houses you will find each component of the staircase measures about 20cm. This is a bit steep for a garden, so ideally the tread for an outdoor step will be a minimum of 30cm and the riser about 1.5cm. They can be deeper, shallower and as wide as you like, but preferably no higher. It is also important that each step in a flight is the same, otherwise, sure as eggs is eggs, somebody will fall over and there will be many tears and much swearing. Consideration should also be given to handrails; if you’re going to include them, make sure they are

safe as you don’t want your elderly relations ending up in the herbaceous border. There, that’s the dull technical bit out of the way.

Steps fall into two categories. First, there are those that allow us to travel from one place to another – utilitarian steps, the white T-shirts and jeans of landscaping. They can be made from anything (brick, stone, wood, steel) provided they work. That said, if you find yourself at the foot of an elegantly constructed flight of steps while pushing a laden wheelbarrow, the charm of said steps may swiftly pall. A ramp is worth considering, either instead of or in addition to the steps. If that is impossible, long, shallow steps work well as you can bump a barrow up them with a bit of momentum if they only have a single brick riser.

The second category is much more exciting as it gives us the opportunity to fulfil our purpose but with style and pizzazz. Think elaborate Busby Berkeley musical sets, with steps as the main feature. There are examples of such complex designs throughout history, although, unsurprisingly, the grandest steps occur in the most palatial of gardens – you need at least a palazzo to get away with the sort of thing that can easily accommodate two crinoline-wearing court ladies or even the most modest of minstrel troupes. Steps can, and do, make a fabulous central feature to a sweeping lawn or walk between herbaceous borders. They can flare, sweep, cascade or plummet; they can incorporate ornamental balustrades, sculptures or water (I have designed a couple of flights of steps with small rills that trickle through the treads). This makes them less static and adds an element of sound, which is good for keeping visitors alert.

However, those of you without substantial acreages should not despair, as steps can work just as well, if not better, in a small

garden. Steps can multi-task: if you have the space, try to make yours just a little bit wider than necessary as they can then act as useful shelves for containers and pots. They can also be a comfortable place to sit. I have many photographs of family members lolling around on steps, as they provide the perfect opportunity for the artistic arrangement of children of varying sizes. Steps can be a site of entertainment – remember slinkies, those coiled springs that insinuate themselves down staircases? And they’re a good place for vigorous exercise, jumping or running up and down.

There are steps for every garden and every occasion. The most important thing is to build flights that work well; once you have the functional bit sorted, you can really let your imagination run riot.