PATH MAKING CAN SOMETIMES = FILE CLEARING

Two office experiences collided last week and I had to get creative.  The shredder bit the dust and it was time to clear out 20 years of files.  What to do? Why, fill in one of my sunken paths, of course and use those shredding $'s to purchase some mulch. 

'SOMETIME CREEK' had eroded two of my causeway crossovers. Years ago I had placed 4" PVC pipes parallel to the water course of a perennial running creek;  layered cut logs parallel to the pipes and mulched over the corrugated walk making it a smooth pleasure to get close to the Broad Beech Fern that naturally resides in the wet valley. Over the 20+ succeeding years I have had to fill over those pipes at least three times to make the paths passable.  It was time again. 

This year instead of using cardboard boxes or newspaper I had 20 years of files to dispose of and no shredder.  So, I spent the morning clearing out one side of a storage room and filled a deep wheelbarrow with all the files. 

How satisfying it was to toss the papers in chunky handfuls over the low wet spot. I didn't even have to soak the paper ( this helps if you are using cardboard or newspaper to fill in low spots in a path. )

Once the wheelbarrow was empty and the path full  I only needed 10 bags of Cedar Mulch to cover the paper up to the log sides.  Total time for that? 45 min. 

Last fall I found four coir door mats on sale with our initials on them. They were vetoed on two counts for using them at the doors of the house: too small and too pretentious. They also sat in the store room with my years of files until I came across them in my cleanout and remembered the garden of the late Ian Hamilton Findlay, LITTLE SPARTA.  As a sculptor of stone pieces and owner of property in Scotland he decided to populate his garden walk with carved stones spelling out classical phrases.   

So, into the Cedar Mulch went the lettered mats.  There is also a funky frog reading a birding book beside the path where I placed a note giving a hint of the meaning of the mats. 

Now this causeway is known as 'ODE TO LITTLE SPARTA'. Thank you, Ian Hamilton Findlay, where ever you are, for creating and sharing your inspiration with other gardeners all over the world. 

NO CHEMICAL WEEDING ON YOUR PEA GRAVEL PATH WITH 15 MINUTES - A LOOP HOE - AND A LEAF RAKE

Do you know what a Loop Hoe is? It is a handy garden tool to use when you want to clean up a pea gravel path without chemicals.  I found out about a Loop Hoe when I was learning about weeding from British Gardening  books. It is an open strap of metal sharpened on both edges and mounted to a long wooden handle. 

Here it is sitting beside the rake. 

It took me a while to find one but it is well worth having when you are expecting company and have about 15 spare minutes before they arrive. Gravel paths are such a perfect growing medium for all sorts of seedlings especially the tenacious ones.  

The Loop Hoe is so easy to use when a gravel path is about 1 & 1/2 inches thick of loose pea gravel on top of compacted heavier gravel.  The Loop Hoe gets  under the small weeds that are growing in the path.  You just push and pull it though the pea gravel dislodging the weeds as you go. Then use a leaf rake to gather up up the weeds while the gravel passes through the tines of the rake.  A tiny trick to not rake up the gravel with the weeds is: with each pull of the rake lift the rake in a quick motion and most of the gravel will fall back into place.  

Once I  have a pile of weed debris it is a swift walk across my driveway to the compost bin. 

For the finishing touch I lightly pass the rake over the path giving it a smooth look. 

Enjoy, get a little excersize and weed without chemicals with a Loop Hoe and your trusty Leaf Rake. 

DESIGNING FOR THE VIEW

A little tour of through the windows during a refreshing Spring rain is a big boost along with a morning coffee. 

On to work after this brief survey.