Materials:
- Graph paper
- Materials to construct your maze. Some common materials used to make a maze include shrubs, corn plants (a maize maze), grass or wildflower plantings, sunflowers, hay bales and turf.
Instructions
- Search the Internet for examples of different types of mazes. Help this inspire you to create your own design. You can make a maze permanent by using perennial plants such as evergreen shrubs, ornamental grasses, or low-growing lamb's ear. Or change it from year to year by using annual plants like corn, sunflowers, or snapdragons. If your space is limited, try making temporary mazes on a paved surface using potted plants (they'll need frequent watering) or supplementing with hay bales. You can even mow a maze into a lawn by letting the grass grow a few inches longer than normal, then cutting paths.
- Select a site for your maze and measure the space available.
- Once you have identified the materials you want to work with and the space available, sketch out your maze on a piece of graph paper. Determine how many plants you will need to purchase. This can be a great math exercise!
- Collect your plant material. Before planting, lay out your maze design in the garden using a piece of string or you can also use flour as a temporary marker for your path boundaries.
- Plant and watch your maze grow. With a living wall, you will want to be careful not to step on your plants, especially right after planting. Once the plants’ roots get a little more established, the walls will be sturdier.
