Gallery: Great garden paths
All it takes to build a distinctive path is a dose of creativity and imagination.
The corridor shown here connects two garden spaces, but Berkeley home-owner Randi Herman wanted its mood to be decidedly wacky and wild. Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, Herman envisioned the curvy tunnel Alice spirals through after drinking a shrinking potion.
Garden designer Raul Zumba helped bring Herman's idea to life. He used aged brick, randomly set in sand, to create the path, which ranges from 2 to 4 feet wide. Three freestanding doors — also inspired by the story — rise at the back of the planting bed; they add to the whimsy and screen the garden from a neighbor's yard. Colorful plants are changed out regularly to keep the look dynamic.
The path leads to a secluded 8-foot-diameter patio (pictured in the rear) enclosed by a canopy of Chinese hackberries. When the trees were young and flexible, Zumba wove the branches together to form a living shelter. Herman loves going through "a wild place that surprises and delights to a serene space. It's perfect for an end-of-the-day stroll." DESIGN: Raul Zumba, Zumba Gardens, Oakland, CA (510/703-8146)
