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by Carol Brinkman, HCMG |
BURY
THE EVIDENCE
(or Finding the Right
Path)
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Saturday newspapers are
my favorite. I
anticipate the Saturday
San Antonio Express News
and Austin American
Statesman all week long;
and with coffee cup at
hand, I go straight for
the gardening sections.
Calvin Finch, Neil
Sperry, Skip Richter and
assorted other garden
writers seem especially
attuned to my needs. |
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Last fall I began two
major landscape
projects, and the
information provided by
these experts has proven
to be invaluable. I
saved the gardening
sections, and used the
rest of the paper to put
down over the area of
St. Augustine grass that
was to become an
expanded border bed. The
8 to 10 thickness of
papers was topped with 4
to 6 inches of compost.
When the paper had
disintegrated, the dead
grass was removed, the
soil was turned and
amended — all as
instructed in an article
I read. |
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Another project was a
flowerbed specifically
for my intended iris
collection. Once again,
the gardening advice
found in the newspaper
proved useful. According
to what I read, it is
now fashionable to plant
vegetables and herbs
among the perennials.
This proved to be the
perfect solution for a
large iris bed and a
small iris collection.
My ten new iris are
doing well, and we have
eaten beets, Brussels
sprouts, and Mesclun
greens all winter and
had some to share, too.
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The next step in my
project is to decide
what kind of pathway I
should use around and
through the two new
beds. Through further
reading, I have learned
more about the basic
principles of designing
garden pathways: |
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1) Determine the
function of the pathway.
Do you need access to
beds with tools and
wheelbarrow? Then a more
utilitarian, firm path
is called for. Is the
pathway for leisurely
stroll as you and your
guests admire your
efforts and nature’s
beauty? If so, an
important thing to
remember here is that
the path should be a
minimum of 48 inches
wide so that two people
can walk comfortably
side by side. |
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2) Identify your style.
The surface you choose
should reflect the style
of your landscape. Is
your garden formal,
informal, or somewhere
in between? A formal
garden path would have
straight lines and hard
surfaces such as a brick
laid in a herringbone
pattern. Natural
materials are more
suitable for the
informal garden. A
gravel path, randomly
placed stones, or a
chipped wood surface
would be more fitting in
a cottage garden or the
garden that features
native plants or cacti/
succulents. |
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3) Keep your pathway in
proportion or scale. An
expansive garden area
calls for a broader path
with sweeping curves
that would overwhelm a
smaller garden. A
smaller garden is
usually a more intimate
space and the scale
should reflect this. |
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4) Dare to be different;
express yourself! Just
this morning in the
Statesman, Renee
Studebaker suggested
gardeners should “have
some fun and experience
your inner artist.”
Studebaker’s suggestion
is to plant wine bottles
upside down in the
ground side by side. I
think her idea will make
a great pathway among
the iris. |
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I have wine bottles, but
I’m not saying how long
this pathway will be. |
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California poppies line
the path as filler in
the "new" iris bed |
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