Spring has sprung in my neck of the woods, and that means it’s time to get out in the garden. I have several landscaping projects on the docket this year, but the one I’m most excited about is the small path between the side of the house and the fence. Right now the dog is using it as a place to run and dig, and after the long winter it’s a total mud pit. So my goal is to make it a lovely, lush shade path – and to keep the dog out!
As you can see, it’s a pretty small space, but it’s the perfect spot for a little garden path. (If I do it right I can attempt forest bathing at my own house!) I love the thought of some stepping stones winding through some lush greenery. That said, the area gets very little sun, so a shade garden it will have to be. Fortunately, I’m a huge fan of ferns and hostas, but beyond that, I’m not quite sure what to do. I love the idea of hydrangeas, but I’m not sure if they’ll make it there. So I’ve been gathering inspiration pics to get my creative juices flowing. One of the big questions I have is, what kind of path should I do?
Shade Garden with Brick Path
I’ve never seen a brick path I didn’t love. There’s something really classic and sophisticated about them. In a perfect world, I would do this, but I think it might be a bit more complicated (and expensive) than I want to get into. And quite frankly, stone will be easier for me to get my hands on. But look how pretty it is against a backdrop of delicious greens. So pretty.
Gravel and Mulch Paths
Friends and neighbours have both suggested either mulch or gravel paths. I have to admit, they would be pretty easy and inexpensive. I’m not in love with gravel, so that’s probably out, but I would definitely consider mulch. The only problem I have with it is that I find it always goes everywhere. However, mulch with some flagstone on top is definitely on my radar.
Shade Garden with Flagstone Path
Ok, so I absolutely love the look of flagstone paths. I love that they’re never perfect, and they have a bit of wildness to them. Because they aren’t perfect shapes, and you can put them anywhere you want, I feel like they’re very forgiving. I don’t have to worry about them being perfectly spaced out or levelled. Also, thanks in part to the imperfections of flagstone, you can allow the plants to do their thing without too much manicuring or maintenance. More than likely, I’ll do something like this.
I’m going to start measuring and drawing some plans this week. My budget is a bit tight for this because I also have to put up a new fence and do some gardens at the back of the yard (more on that later!), so what I’ll likely do is start with mulch and then see if and when flagstone fits in the budget. I’ll definitely load it with ferns and hostas, but I’m still not sure about the hydrangeas. More research will have to be done.
What about you? Any landscaping plans this Spring? Let me know if you have any thoughts or advice in the comments 🙂
**Edit, One year after initial post
Well, I’m sad to say that I had to make a change. We needed to replace our air conditioner and the new unit went into the garden path. I tried to salvage my new plantings, but alas, it didn’t work. They all got trampled. But not to worry, I went kind or crazy adding new plants to other areas of the garden. Over the next few years we’re going to be doing A LOT of landscaping, so there will be room to do another path. It’s going to take awhile, but I’ll post the progress as I go!
We bought a 20 year old colonial style house on a 2 acre heavily wooded lot. A thousand 70′ Red Pines must have been cleared to build this house, the area for the septic field and a huge…I mean huge in ground swimming pool in the back yard. The lot is still heavily wooded in front and all around the property. Only the center areas for the house, a driveway, and the pool in back were cleared. This leaves a very private setting…yet still in a neighborhood. The prior owners did very little landscaping. They mowed the open areas and mowed into the shady under tree areas leaving it pretty sparse…just shade, weeds, and sandy soil. I’ve cut over 100 dead trees, stacked the logs for firewood, and chipped all the branches for ground cover. Now I’m at that blank canvas point hoping to create a lush and private woodland garden all around the home with particular focus on privacy around the pool area. It has to look completely natural and require minimal care. Leaf dropping plants and trees don’t mix well with swimming pools so I’m trying to stuff as many seeding white pines in the perimeter as I can. They grow fast. Because of the amount of space I’m working with I am hoping to find seeds vs. bulbs. My color pallet is the deep dark greens with blues and whites for blooms. I welcome suggestions.