If you need to install a staircase in your garden you probably have a really good reason for doing so. People don’t usually throw a staircase into their hardscaping plans just because they love to climb steps. There’s a good reason for them and there’s no getting around the fact that they’ll have to be sturdy, safe and practical.

But they can also be utterly gorgeous.

The artful railing

The staircase shown above is at Chanticleer Garden, linking the Teacup Garden (on the lower level) with an upper, grassy promenade flanked by long flower beds. The low, wide, smooth steps lend elegant contrast to the Art Nouveau style iron railings. More sculpture than support, really, these railings are stunning and yet the life-like metal flowers, leaves and twigs practically melt into the surrounding greenery. This is a formal garden element at its most insouciant.

The railing as planter

Do you call it a railing when it’s a low, wide wall of stone with an interior trough sprouting all kinds of plants? No matter. This staircase, also at Chanticleer, works double duty, flanked on either side by raised beds. Albeit long, narrow, inclined beds. What I love about these particular stairs (besides the excellent stone masonry) is that it has a I-could-do-that vibe. At the very least, hanging window baskets from your railings might work.

The no-railing railing

Sproinging up from the ground like giant metal fiddleheads, these balustrades have made staircase railings superfluous. Having walked down these stairs myself, I can tell you that you don’t miss the handrail since they’re spaced perfectly so that your hand naturally drops down to grasp each one just as you would with a handrail. The sinuous staircase design as a whole makes perfect sense for this Provence-themed garden in urban Toronto where space was at a premium and uninterrupted views of the garden from every angle were important.

The recycled staircase

Some of you might recognize this set of steps from one of my postings years ago. But I had to include it in this collection of wonderful staircases. The steps themselves are repurposed pavers. The flanking pillars are made from carefully stacked slate roof tiles. What a handsome accent for the garden–all made from materials gathered from other parts of the property.

Softened stone stairs

Stone steps are a classic garden feature. But what if you want a softer look? This gardener solved the problem by blanketing the stones with creeping ground cover plants. If you want to try this look at home, keep safety in mind. Although the stairs pictured look wonderful, I got the impression that they’re not used very often. For steps that get a work out, consider trimming back the plants to keep the centre area of each step clear.

Really stony stone stairs

This garden was a granite-lovers backyard paradise. It took the idea of hardscaping to a whole new level. Although the overall effect was a little, erm, hard for me, I can appreciate the thoughtfulness that was put into the design. I especially like the huge, single slabs of stones set upright to work as both riser and railing.

The almost-looks-natural staircase

I have to admit that the stairs shown above (photographed at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, Ontario) were not the easiest to navigate because they are far from being level, evenly spaced, or equally sized. But that’s what I loved about it. These steps look like they somehow emerged organically out of the ground by some weird and yet totally handy phenomenon that made hiking up this steep garden path such a pleasure.

The I-can’t-believe-it’s-a-staircase staircase

New wooden plank stringers and halved log treads gives this garden staircase leading to a woodland trail an endearingly mish-mashed look. Lily of the valley and hostas flank either side and peek through the steps to the point where the stairs almost disappear when viewed from below.