- Plants for formal paths
Even with a formal garden and pathway, it is more attractive to plant the edges with clumps of low hedging so that the edges ‘disappear’ into the garden. Suitable plantings for this are mondo grass, a wiry, dark green plant, and lily turf (Liriope) which has a blue or a white flower. The blue-flowering lily turf has variegated leaves; the white-flowering one has dark green leaves. Neither needs a lot of sun in order to flourish.
Other low hedging plants include Japanese box with its lightish green leaves and English box with dark green leaves. Both are slow growing and are usually clipped into shape.
Lonicera, a member of the honey-suckle family, is another choice. It has a cream flower and looks wonderful when it’s kept low along a very formal path. Or try Teucrium, which needs constant clipping, and has a little blue flower.
- Plants for informal paths
For edgings in informal gardens, shrubs should spill over paths, softening path edges and breaking straight lines. Different varieties of lavender and daisies, clumps of Salvia, daylilies, iris, Stokes’ Aster (Stokesia), rosemary, lamb’s ear, and Santolina all look wonderful. Erigeron, Corastium, snow-in-summer, Convolvulus and Evolvulus, Campanula, Saxifraga, foxgloves and violets should also be considered. Lavender, rosemary, daisies, daylilies and iris must all have sun, but violets, Campanula, Saxifraga, foxgloves and most lilies don’t need a lot of sun.
Planting behind the edging shrubs on a pathway could include Chinese lantern bush, Plumbago, Buddleia, Philadelphus, Eupatorium, gardenia and camellia.
Informal pathways call out for pockets of flowers poking their heads up between paving slabs. Heart’s ease, baby’s breath, violets, mussan catmint, forget-me-nots and alyssum are particularly suitable for this. Wherever possible, simply sprinkle seeds.