Where does the idea of the garden maze come from

A.� The maze is a gardening take on the labyrinth, a series of paths and walls leading to a centre, which has been around since the ancient Greeks. The myth of Theseus has the hero making his way through a labyrinth to slay the Minotaur and finding his way back out by following a thread he had unravelled on his journey.

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The design of the ancient labyrinth, which has been found on carvings dating back to 2000 BC from Northern Spain to southern India is a seven ringed spiral winding from the outside to the centre, still used today but very different to the complex and baffling designs of the great garden mazes we know today.

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A.� The first mazes were turf labyrinths were cut into the grass around churches, and it is almost impossible to date them. The were designed to symbolise the path to God and the largest surviving one is at Saffron Waldon in Essex.

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It wasn't until the 17th century that the maze as a place of fun, to get lost in was imported from France. Instead of the simple spiral design dead ends were introduced with junctions and uniform hedges that could look the same at every turn. The most famous example remains the one at Hampton Court, planted for William of Orange between 1689 and 1696.

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A.� Yes. Although the classic image of a maze is miles and miles of trimmed hedges in large country gardens, they don't have to be like that.

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Mazes as a garden feature don't have to be walked but can be followed by eye, what is known as a 'gaze maze'. You can lay one of your own design out on the patio in brick or as a mosaic, or create a maze garden path.

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A.� If you don't fancy having a go yourself, there are books available with designs for you to copy, including one by one of the country's leading maze makers Adrian Fisher called The Art of the Maze.

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There are also a number of websites dedicated to mazes and maze building. Try www.btinternet.com/-mazes, the website for the famous maze at Symonds Yat in the Wye Valley.

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