It's important when building a garden path that it is done well, and built to last. Monday was spent digging (again) and getting the grade and slope of the land just right to apply lotsarock. Layers of rock were compacted over several hours with a machine compacter while adding a little here, taking away a little there, till it was just right.
Just right is not something that is easily acquired with just the rock alone. It basically takes all day to get the levels just right so that when you step onto the path from any transition surface, it is the right height, level, slope etc. Doing this under the worlds messiest tree is not recommended. The grand Chestnut tree is beginning to feel the effects of Autumn. I feel the effects of the tree in the form of large prickly balls of nuts (nutsacks?) occasionally hurtled toward my back at high rates of speed while hunched over the pathway perfecting the details. 
So once everything is in the proper location according to the plan we lay in the manufacturer recommended edging and got a load of sand. That is what we will be doing today. We are laying thick patio paver bricks over precicely placed and leveled sand (using our secret method).Anyway, thanks for following along, it's looking great! There will be more photos later :)
WE ARE ALMOST DONE! YAY!
7 comments:
I'm so jealous! Looks great, well done
The path looks great, Licia. Just up from where Mom and Dad lived (on Queen Anne) there was a horse chestnut tree, and when I was a kid I loved to collect them. Their woody grain is beautiful! I'd bring them home from the library; I bring them home from a walk; later, I'd take a few to work to put on my desk. Once when I was pretty little, I (eek) planted a row of them alongside the house. My Mom asked me about them the next Spring. Needless to say, they were pulled up right quick! Ha.
Aunt Lori
You're not even done yet and it looks amazing!
It's looking good! Can't wait until I get a house so I can have a path and deck. Thanks for sharing!
http://peebsandroo.blogspot.com/
I'm following you so I can see the finished walkway!!
Nice blog!!
I have a chestnut tree in an area I am considering planting a shade garden with path. The area around it (27'x20')is fenced with a little iron fence. We have a hammock and sitting bench already and I would like to put a small path and then some shade tolerant plants. My biggest concern is the clean-up from the world's messiest tree as you put it. Basically everything I plant has to be able to be raked around, etc. to get the plentiful nuts and seed pods gone. Have you planted around your path and how much of a nightmare is it to clean up, keep clean, etc? I would love any and all suggestions. thanks, hope you get this. I need to look further to see your finished job! thanks!
When we design things, a lot of details are prepared ahead of time. Being well aware of the quantity of leaves and pods that fall is all part of the design. They are a great mulch for our clients if they don't mind having leaf "litter" on their beds. It takes all of five minutes to brush the pods and leaves into the beds. If they don't want to see that we have installed 2 large compost bins specifically for the tree. It works great and last years leaf litter is composting nicely all on it's own to produce a nice rich mulch to apply to the garden after a year or so. As one bin is emptied, the other is filled, and the cycle continues.
A great rake to use to get around the precious plants and leave them unharmed is Fiskars 9661 8-Inch Shrub Rake (a specialty rake just for leaves). It really helps us be gentle in cleanup.
We are always happy to answer any questions you have! Feel free to see the blog and website for our landscape design business too http://ginkgolandscapedesign.com/wordpress/
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