My garden odyssey: Path transformation

EPISODE XXXV

SHE SAID: One of the ongoing maintenance issues with my moss garden has been keeping debris from washing into it during heavy rains. I couple of years ago I edged the whole area with bricks to keep the bark mulch on the adjacent path in place. It helped but it also looked — at least to me — like the temporary solution it was.

Once Mark added a gravel garden edged with flat-topped stones near the Tsukubai (above), I realized a similar treatment would be perfect bordering the moss. Not only would it solve the maintenance problem, but it would also echo the material and the opposing curve across the garden.

I convinced Mark that if we picked out the boulders now, I could do the work myself. Does any project in the garden ever turn out to be as simple and easy as we envision it? First, I realized I wasn't as strong as I imagined and had trouble even lifting some of the boulders off the piles at the stone yard, let alone out of the bed of the pickup truck and into the wheel barrows. My barrow loads were half the size and weight of Mark's.

Even when it came to setting the stones, he was annoyingly more competent. He'd done it before, but I think it's also his skill with 3-d concepts and visualizing. I agonized over every rock trying to decide if it would work next to the previous one, while he glanced at the pile and saw the exact jigsaw piece required next. 

Suffice it to say that Mark did the majority of the edging work; meaning it was done efficiently and thoughtfully. I did enough to understand the work involved and to truthfully claim that I helped. It looks great and seems to be working. Now I need to backfill any spaces between the rocks with clay to encourage more moss. 

Actually, the new border looked so good that it necessitated moving one of the future projects on the garden life list to first place: replacing the wood chip paths with gravel. The paths desperately needed new mulch and it seemed a waste of time and money to put down chips again. 

I suggested we redo the paths now and be done with that particular project on our list. Mark agreed and we went looking for gray stone to match what we'd already used elsewhere in the garden. Of course, no one had quite the same size but it's unlikely that anyone but us will notice the difference! 

The next step involved measuring and marking the paths so the width would be the same and the curves the degree we wanted. Mark — as is his habit — made a tool when I said I was having trouble easily marking off the 3' width so I could remove grass and plants in the way. He used the tops from some tin cans to make little "wheels" so we could make a visible mark in the dirt.

He pretty much took over the task of prepping the old path for its new topping, too. He raked up the old mulch, sifting it to save reusable soil. 

He removed a layer of soil approsimately 3" deep x 3' wide x 200' of path. We now have a gorgeous pile of soil ready to fill in low spots in the garden or to pot up houseplants. 

And he cleaned up the paths all the way to the weed barrier that was put down the year we installed the pond: 1997! All that's left now is to get the gravel in place and we're done.

Comments

[Lisa at Greeenbow]

What a lot of work! Check one off the garden life list with a notation of "job well done".

[Barbara H.]

Have you considered cloning Mark? I could sure use someone like him. The stone border looks wonderful.

I can see why you decided to go ahead with switching the other path to gravel, but what a lot of work.

[Pam/Digging]

Yes, when you clone Mark, please send one down to Austin. Perhaps the Austin bloggers can share and save on the shipping costs that way.

BTW, your moss garden edging looks lovely. The long shot makes me want to stroll down that path and explore around the bend.

[LINDA from EACH LITTLE WORLD]

If I can figure out how to make money on this cloning idea — or perhaps trade for plants? — I may have to consider it.

[Topsoil Suppliers]

Good work. Must of taken you ages. The curve of the path is excellent, that takes a lot of skill. I have tried this myself and messed up so I know how hard it is.