I just googled 'hosta pathway'. There are a lot of nice images.

the only thing that interests me in regard to a path.. is how to get from point A to point B ... and on a 500 foot square lot.. thats it...

after the most direct path is made.. then i stick plants in ...

on a restricted rectangular suburban garden.. i would squiggle it a bit ...

it might also depend if the bed face is straight or curving ...

ken

I have a huge yard with paths and garden rooms in-progress. Been working on this house only 5 years, so nowhere near done. I made up my own set of general guidelines to stay cohesive since I want my place to have some cohesiveness:

1. I like to see groupings/vignettes of 3-5 hostas which complement each other. Spaced nicely so they clearly go together, but not so tight to where I can't study the specimens individually. I also like to incorporate another plant or 2 into the group (ie ferns, heuchera, etc.) I spend my winter down time thinking and dreaming up hosta groupings...save the ideas, and find places I can do them in my own garden.

2. I like to break up the groups so the eye gets a breather with something else (I prefer boxwood in my yard). Plus, the boxwood are nice year-round structure.

I also like to take a birdbath, bench, statue, or other structure...put it there first...and landscape it.

Jap maples are great foundation points to get in, and landscape them.

As a hosta collector, I tend to get caught up in using the Hosta as my foundation and supplement with structures and non-hostas. I am building a garden, and as much as I love my hostas, I have to make myself think about shrubs, structures, and other foundations first. It's hard to do sometimes.

3. I've put in a lot of paths so far. I do paths with curves if the goal is to take your time and walk around. Paths with straight lines are to point the person directly to the awesome thing at the end of the path.

That's what I do.
Gayle

What Gayle said, plus don't forget the solid blues and greens. See a lot of pics with all variegated - it can be too busy - they often don't compliment each other, they compete.

Curved paths (garden edges are paths also) make you wonder what is coming up that you can't see.

Yellows in the hosta garden are like lights they lead your eyes. Whites I like, but too much and it's too stark - it stops my eyes.

Just a couple of thoughts.

Paul

Paul,

That photo is stunning! Thanks for posting. What's the source? I hope to use this as inspiration for my work on my garden beds.

I also like what you said about the solid blues and greens. I inherited a lot of solid greens that one their own are boring. I used them as a sort of shrubbery / structure for all of my beds. Once I've mixed in some blue, yellow, etc, the whole thing starts to come alive.

Anita

Paul,

That photo is stunning! Thanks for posting. What's the source? I hope to use this as inspiration for my work on my garden beds.

I also like what you said about the solid blues and greens. I inherited a lot of solid greens that one their own are boring. I used them as a sort of shrubbery / structure for all of my beds. Once I've mixed in some blue, yellow, etc, the whole thing starts to come alive.

Anita

Anita, that is from the Deans Garden during 2010 AHS garden tours. Going on garden tours is a good way to get some ideas - if you see something you that really catches your eye, how can you make that work in your gardens.

Check out the 2010 and 2011 AHS picture tours on the Gallery side of this hosta forum.

Paul

Here is a link that might be useful: Hosta Forum: Gallery

Paul, great path. I see the latticed porch or entry in the distance, and figure we'll eventually get there. But, the journey is the whole deal, not the arrival.

You can look up any sort of good landscaping book and find help with designing a pathway. You will find in 100% of them it says to lend a little mystery to the path, to lead a person onward, have a bend in the path around which you cannot see, just to keep you moving along. And if there are any spots which let you pause to observe a vista, that is where you should place a bench or have a small table and chairs (think tea or coffee spot), and you will love being there. If you want a quiet walk, think about wood chips or pine straw as a covering, not always stone. A boon if you are not sure about the path, and may change it, easy to move or cover the signs of chips and straw.

I'd also think about placing the waterhoses or PVC pipe beneath a soft walkway, with spigots along the way for a hose to water with. Then maybe a few cheap solar lights you stick down with spikes. Either highlight a tree trunk in the middle of a hosta planting, uplighting, or focus the light down on the pathway. I personally like to line a path with white blooming flowers (vinca for one) or white leafed caladiums, or really gray-white Dusty Miller, but you might also find some good hosta featuring white in the leaf too. It marks the pathway even in the twilight, under shade trees where a lot of other color is not as effective.

Also if you have a short view you wish to have appear longer, and it is off a path not on one, force the perspective by planting large leafs near the observation point, and having leafs progressively smaller the more distant they are. This is very effective and the eye is not really aware of it. I always look for opportunities to use this effect.

Paul,

Great picture, I was wondering how does one come up with Hosta grouping. Do we stick with a single clump of a particular type of hosta and then add some other plant like ferns?

Secondly, how do I link the groups together?

Paul

For me,it's simple. I just put in the hostas as I acquire them. I have all kinds of combos in my garden,and it's impossible to make a straight path there,so I just followed the lay of the land in designing my paths. Of course if you have flat land like most of you seem to have,then you have to make the paths twist amd turn. It would be very boring if all the paths were straight out,and straight back!. Just my humble opinion!.Phil