Labyrinths: To Confound…Or Clarify
There are examples of labyrinths from all eras, spread across the entire world. Whether built in Ancient Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Russia, Palestine, France, Germany, the U.K., or by Native Americans of the Sonoran Desert, in their various forms, these convoluted pathways have all exemplified spiritual journeys.
If you’ve a flat expanse of ground in your own garden, creating a turf maze there can be delightful. First decide if you wish to shape your labyrinth from a branching, or a single path. Multiple routes will add uncertainty and excitement; single routes will instead enhance contemplation. Be sure to then emphasize the presence of your labyrinth in the landscape with at least one vertical decorative element…something that’ll attract the eye, from a distance.
Whatever meaning you ascribe to your labyrinth---be it spiritual, mythological, or ornamental---know that, by
forming this type of circuitous pathway you’ll be participating in one of humankind’s most ancient, artistic customs.

At Chenies Manor House in Buckinghamshire we admire the serene form of the garden’s orchard labyrinth. Courtesy of nanquick.com

Labyrinth around a Polyhedral Sundial

At Parham House in West Sussex we discover how thrilling pathways which follow curlicues can be. Throw a couple of sphinxes into the decorative-mix too! Why be shy? Courtesy of nanquick.com

Although it seems to be a relic from another time, Upton Wold’s labyrinth, designed by landscape architect Hal Moggridge, was completed in 2013. Courtesy of nanquick.com