These Three Things

The end of summer is approaching and I've felt particularly lazy about posting progress or advice.  When you've worked hard over the Spring and early Summer, the enthusiasm for yard work may have all but disappeared by Labor Day.  Though I've tried to keep up with the new weeds (which usually follow any significant rain fall) and I've mentally made plans to fill in the large divot in the back yard where the kids' wooden playset used to take residence, re-seed grassy areas that still need love, and mulch the path that used to be in the front (now overgrown with ajuga), I haven't quite summoned the energy.  Part of the delay is because the weather has either been too hot or, lately, too rainy.  The other part is lack of ambition.  If you find that you are resenting the work, take a break from it.  If you are stuck because you feel that you do not have an adequate plan or course of action, then do a little research and see what your options are.

Currently, I have three things I would really like to do in my yard if time (and resources) permit.  I would like to put in a labyrinth in the rectangular section of the back yard left vacant by the kids' playset.  I would like to replace the asphalt path that leads from the driveway to the front steps with a brick path (we have brick steps and a brick path would add so much).  And, I'd really like to fix the side garden/grassy area by the driveway with a traditional square garden sectioned off for growing vegetables and perennials.

When I discuss the idea of a labyrinth I am usually greeted with polite nods and smiles.  I'm thinking some people envision a large maze with trimmed hedges leading path walkers down a confusing series of walkways.  What I am really talking about is a design in pavers that creates a path that leads into a central core and back out again (not really a maze, although it is often confused with one).  What intimidates me most is trying to design such a path with rectangular edges.  Most designs online are circular and our space is fairly limited.  Also, picking out reasonably priced pavers, predicting how many will be needed, and how close to set them is mystifying me.  I am also wondering if it's overkill considering how many other unusual choices we've made to our yard already.

The brick path is another stumbling block.  I would prefer to hire someone to put one in, but imagine that the price would be considerable.  My sister claims it is easy as she has installed them herself, but first the asphalt must be removed.  While I do not disagree that I could probably do it myself, I hesitate on the issues of how much sand, gravel, and brick to buy?  How do you keep the path clear while you are installing the sand, gravel, and brick?  And do I have that kind of free time to dedicate?

And, finally, perhaps the easiest on the wish list, to fix the side garden area that seems to need a bit of help.  In Fantasyland (where I like to go when things get tough) I am able to create a garden in four sections with a cross shaped in between for easy weeding.  In reality, I have a young apple tree right in the middle of the square that is most likely too large to move, and too sentimental to kill.   My daughter started that tree in kindergarten after picking the seeds out of an apple she ate and (using skills she learned in camp) getting them to sprout by keeping them moist against a paper towel and sealed in a sandwich bag.  This tree is now 8 feet tall and there is no other space for it in the yard.  Though I have no use for an apple tree (the number of apples it may produce some day will not be worth the care and maintenance over time, at least not for me) my daughter is really proud of her tree and I can't bring myself to kill it, though I've dreamed about it many times.

As a sort of compromise, I have left the the tree and altered my design for the side garden.  I decided to leave the square garden in the middle, a grass path around the edge, and finish the strip of garden around the outside.  Ok, so this photo is not pretty, but it's temporary.  In order to complete the strip of garden around the outside I have to finish killing the grass (mostly crabgrass) left along one patch in between some plants I put in the ground (where the grass did not survive last winter) and the garden edge won in a battle over property lines with the next door neighbor.  Because I'm low on ambition, I threw down some newspaper on the grass to be eliminated, rather than dig it up.  To keep it in place, I used bricks and broken up pallet pieces.  Over the winter, the grass will die (and it hadn't bloomed so seeds should not be a problem) and in the spring I'll be able to put in some extra plants I have around the yard (and remove the newspaper as it will have done it's job).

If you choose to use the low ambition/newspaper method and you don't like the way it looks, you can throw down some mulch over it to cover the newspaper and go ahead and plant by cutting a holes in the newspaper.  Eventually the newspaper will disintegrate, but can easily be removed if it doesn't.