Tips for path design

■ The best paths combine practical necessity with style, seamlessly linking house and outbuildings with different garden areas.

■ Much-used paths take a lot of wear, and must be level, safe, durable, easily maintained and not overgrown by edging plants.

■ Paths used for wheelie bins, wheelbarrows, lawnmowers, or pushchairs should be a minimum width of 80cm – wider still for wheelchairs.

■ Where steps are unavoidable, the optimum fall is around 15cm with a tread that is 30-45cm deep, even and sloping.

■ Enticing paths lead toward a secret area within a garden, while a surprise urn or sundial along the way can be an added bonus.

■ A path’s materials have a subconscious effect, with stone setts receding away from the eye suggesting a sense of movement.