How To: Make a garden maze

Looking to be the talk of the town? Do you love gardening and have some time to spare? Build a garden maze and make your yard the neighborhood sensation.

You Will Need:
• A level, open spot
• A pencil
• Graph paper
• A lawn mower
• Rope or string
• Plants
• A shovel
• Corn stalks, sunflowers, or other flowers (optional)
• Mulch or gravel (optional)

Step 1: Pick a spot
Choose a level, open spot for your maze.

Step 2: Choose the type of maze
Decide what type of maze you want. A unicursal maze has a single twisting path that leads from start to finish with no dead ends; a branching maze has several paths, but only one leads to the finish; and an island maze has several paths leading to the finish, plus many dead ends.

Step 3: Sketch your maze
Sketch a scale drawing of your maze on graph paper, with one inch equal to three or more feet on the ground.

Step 4: Choose plants
Decide which plants to use. The traditional choice is evergreen shrubs, such as boxwood.

Step 5: Lay out the maze
Make a layout on the ground with rope or string. Make the paths wide enough to walk along.

Step 6: Plant the maze
Plant shrubs or other plants that will form the maze walls and an outer boundary.

Step 7: Dig shallow ditches
Dig shallow drainage ditches along the sides of the paths.

Step 8: Tend the maze
Trim plantings as they grow to ensure uniform maze walls, add more to fill in bare spots, and mow grass paths and pull weeds. Enjoy your new maze and show it off to your friends!

Trivia: Conwy Valley Garden Maze in Wales is the world's largest garden maze, covering over two acres.