Clean Edges and Paths As Part of Garden Legibility - January 2025

Yesterday, I published a post detailing the idea of "Legibility in the Garden" and talked how Dr. Jared Barnes introduced me to the concept via his Meristem blog.  Barnes has developed a set of elements that he feels are the core components of "Legibility" and how we as gardeners can achieve it:  

1. Clean edges
2. Desire lines and paths
3. Primary and secondary axes
4. Sightlines
5. Focal points
6. Entrances
7. Seeing over plantings

Edging is something that I've posted about a number of times.  And, it seems to check a few of Dr. Barnes' components:  clean lines, paths and entrances.   Edging is something that I posted about last Fall when I included some inspiration from a YouTube channel (Moxie Gardens) and talked about how he used railroad ties and other wood beams cut up into chunks to edge various parts of his garden and beds.  

A couple weeks ago, Amy at Pretty Purple Door sent a newsletter that talked about creating a dog-friendly garden and included a link to this video about the same topic.  In the newsletter, she also included this photo below of a garden path.  (I've posted about Amy at Pretty Purple Door before and she's the one who introduce me to the idea of 'evergreens behind flowering shrubs'.)

In her dog-friendly garden tips email - which I can't find a public Web link...or else I would link to it - she included this photo below of a path with edging:

I don't have the source, but this photo above is NOT mine.  Happy to link to the source if someone shares it with me.  

This path uses a couple materials for the path - looks like flagstone and a gravel/decomposed granite.  But, the edging.  THE EDGING.

It appears to use two different diameter of round wood timbers.  Something like 4" and 3".  My guys over at Menards (...Save big money...) have a 3" x 7' treated round fence post.  

Where could I use this?  Along the boardwalk.  Heading up to the patio.  Around some of the borders of the beds.  On the southside entrance.  Lots of places.  Put it on my 2025 to-do list.


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