Harmonizing with Garden Style

Any terracing or steps are contrived and not 'natural' but the style of the steps will stress or reduce their importance in the overall design. Large, sweeping flights of formal steps, especially double sweeps of steps are designed to impress. More natural materials and low-key design blend the steps into a more natural-styled design. There's a very good reason why important buildings are often reached by way of a long, magnificent flight of steps; they announce that you have arrived somewhere, add substance and impress the visitor. Edwardian gardeners were fond of semi-circular steps with intricate paving, making a grand statement. Major buildings use impressive flights of steps to reinforce their importance Informal steps made of natural materials such as wood, stone, gravel and bark are suited to informal gardens, woodlands, bush and coastal gardens. As they blend in more with the planting and don't dominate giving a more natural appearance to the garden design. In contemporary gardens clean crisp steps give emphasis to a structured, formal design. Rugged steps of hewn stone can create a quite different but totally modern look. In both the steps add to and are an important, integral part of the overall design.