How to Make a Maze in Your Yard

Backyard mazes can be simple or elaborate structures created from materials such as sheets, boxes and hay bales, or they may be naturally grown from hedges, grasses and vegetable or flowering plants. The type of maze you create will depend on your yard size, the materials, the time you plan to spend, and the conditions where you live. Some people prefer a garden maze, such as may be found in an English courtyard, while others may opt for a more temporary and fun maze such as those used for Halloween haunts.

Plan out your space before starting any type of maze in your backyard. Measure off your yard to determine how much area you can use for the maze.

Plot your maze on a piece of graph paper with a starting and ending point. This will serve as your guide for planting or placing maze materials.

Plant your corn, ornamental grasses, sunflowers or hedges according to your plan as designated on your graph sheet. Remember to leave enough room for walking between rows. Two feet should be sufficient.

Use tape or string to mark your rows; they will be hard to see until the vegetation really start growing. Keep the paths clear and weeded during the growing process. Care for your plants as directed by seed packet instructions or the garden nursery where the plants were purchased.

Place mulch or even a tarp along your pathway to prevent overgrowth on to your walking area.

Adorn your maze with seasonal items once the maze has fully grown or you have laid out your materials. For fall, you may want to hang homemade sheet ghosts, or place jack-o'-lanterns along the paths or around corners for a spooky Halloween theme.

Place boxes, hay bales or hang sheets on clotheslines to follow your maze as you designed it on your grid. You may connect open boxes to create tunnels.