Paths of Glory

 
In my rambly scrambly hillside garden there are some very pleasing planting combinations, but the hard paving is another matter entirely. It survives from a period in the mid 20th century when the house was a wing of a very small (12 pupils!) girls’ boarding school. To describe the paving as utilitarian and unimaginative is to be kind. I’ve tried to draw the eye away from it with voluptuous planting, but now it is beginning to crumble and I am going to have to plan to replace it a small area at a time. I would love to use York stone, but aside from the vast expense, with so many trees in the garden, York stone has a tendency to get very slippery, so I think I will use concrete paving. There are some great quality concrete paving slabs available, many of which have been moulded to appear like riven stone, so I will be spending some time over the next few months making plans and choosing the right paving for this garden of many levels.’