Park Ridge home has its own labyrinth

A labyrinth is a mazelike pathway that travels along a circular route to a central point.

Martha and Tom Durham had one built next door to their Park Ridge colonial when they were able to purchase and demolish a small home there.

Labyrinths are often found at cathedrals and parks. While some people use them as a place to pray, others find merely walking through them a great way to relieve stress.

"I've always wanted a labyrinth but I wasn't sure how it would fit in this space," says Martha, a deacon at St. Mary Episcopal Church in Park Ridge. The new lot is roughly 48 feet wide by 173 feet deep.

"We consulted Robert Milani at Chalet because they installed our existing patio and garden beds 10 years ago. Within a couple days, Robert and his team had labyrinth patterns for us to choose from. This one is really quite marvelous."

The new area tripled the size of the Durham's garden, and many of the trees and shrubs around the demolished house were saved and reused.

The Durhams' 24-foot diameter labyrinth, called Chelsea, is based on a garden template from the Labyrinth Company, Riverside, Conn. According to the company, its design captures the experience of 13th century Gothic cathedral patterns.

Milani, a registered landscape architect, has installed thousands of gardens during his 15 years with Chalet's landscape division, in North Chicago. But this is his first labyrinth.

Milani and his team worked with the Labyrinth Company to fabricate a template to fit the garden's dimensions. The site then was excavated, leveled and graded. The giant pattern, printed on permeable woven fabric to allow for weed control and water seepage, was laid out in the prepared space.

Clay bricks were placed end-to-end along the grid lines. Soil was backfilled into the space between the bricks, many of which had to be cut by hand to fit the pattern's intricate curves and detailing. Sod, a Kentucky bluegrass blend, was then cut in to create pathways. Ten European Hornbeam trees circle the labyrinth and provide a finished look.

Installing the labyrinth took Milani and his crew of three about two weeks. Maintenance is a simple matter of mowing and edging along the bricks with a line trimmer to achieve a smooth, level effect.

"The labyrinth adds a unique dimension to the outdoor rooms we've created for the Durhams," Milani says. "It fits their lifestyle, provides a quiet place for retreat or personal introspection, and can be used for family entertaining as well as for church retreats and functions."

Labyrinths have ancient origins, and their patterns have been found etched into cave walls, described in Greek literature, illustrated in Roman mosaics, woven into Native American basketry and used as design elements in contemporary fine arts.

Martha Durham's ideas for the labyrinth and garden include church retreats and prayer classes. Next winter she plans to add holiday magic to the labyrinth by putting strands of white twinkling lights on the hornbeams.

Fall also is a magical time in the labyrinth garden as the tree's rustling leaves and the swish of nearby grasses beckon Martha to step onto the path.

"I like this pattern because it takes you to and fro, and just when you think you're getting closer to the center the path forces you back out again," she said. "When it feels like the world seems to be falling apart, the labyrinth forces you to slow down, breathe and concentrate on the beauty that surrounds you."