This view of Monet's garden in Giverny, France is from his bedroom window. Here is a wonderful look at how this famous garden is designed and laid out. Gravel pathways create a soft grid among the flower beds. These plantings are lush green with what seems to be random collections of floral color. There's nothing stuffy or mannered about this show of spring color.
Gravel lanes among the flowers that are most often edged in lush greenery, bursts of color, or simple sprinkles of delicate florals. Here are inspirations and ideas for our own garden paths and lanes.
At a time when 'hardscape' seems to have become a landscaping basic, it's lovely to see an old fashioned pea gravel 'softscape' where the natural garden shape has more emphasis than rigid edges and hard surfaces in walkways and open areas. This gravel pathway technique seems more natural and 'wild' and it's also perfect for breaking up larger gardens into more intimate settings.
