To help me plan for this coming gardening season, I am going through some of my pictures from last year. Here are some of the Front Border from last summer. The Front Border is a mixed border.
One of this year's projects will be to fix the path that runs from the driveway to the front door. The path has two problems. The first is that some of the stones that make up the path have started to sink and the path is becoming hazardous to visitors. This is a relatively minor problem compared to the second. The second problem is that the path is in the wrong place. From the street, you walk down the steps through Goldberry Hill. At the bottom of the steps, you want to walk directly across the driveway, across the grass, and to the front door. This is where the path should be. Instead of this route, the path requires you to make a right turn down the driveway about twenty feet and then a sharp left turn around the light post (you can see this in the last picture).
The solution will be to create the direct path that does not exist with a continuation of the steps and stones that already exist on Goldberry Hill. You can see the steps on Goldberry Hill here: http://heirloomgardener.blogspot.com/2008/01/gardening-on-hill-goldberry-hill-in.html
Follow-up post: Heirloom Gardener's Four Year Front Garden Makeover, including pictures of the new path
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Front Border in Summer & Plan for the New Path
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11 comments:
I see your issues. I've never understood why some paths go against where traffic naturally wants to flow. So often I see sidewalk, and then a well-worn path that is shorter and leads to the same place. Over thinking landscapers I think.
Similar things to your path issues, in my garden, are what keep me awake at night as I go over and over the solution to the problem and envision the outcome.
Does thinking about this path keep you up at night?
I am glad you brought up this issue Heirloom Gardener. This is actually and issue I need to address myself. Our skinny little walk to the front door is being taken over by phlox. I don't want to cut it back. I want to move the walk. The walk is too skinny. It isn't in the right place and I just don't like it.
As a matter of fact I need to remodel the entire front garden. Bushes are over grown and we need better off street parking. My DB doesn't see it the way I see it so we are at a stalemate. UGH
I will be anxious to see what you come up with.
Jim,
"Does thinking about this path keep you up at night?"
After the kids are in bed and I have some quiet time, the gardening books, graph paper and pencils come out. During the winter, this is the time to figure out what I'm going to be doing the next year. I confess that yes, this does keep me up a night.
I checked out your blog--you have gorgeous photographs. I love the strawberry steps!
-Heirlooom Gardener
I just like you garden, so much plants.
And your house...we take alot of american style to Sweden,Mcdonalds for example.
I cant uderstand why we dont take after your way to builth houses.
They are so beautiful.
Ken
Yes, I can sympathize. There are paths that need making here, but trying to figure out how to make them (more than just a worn place in the grass) without breaking my back or the bank has been my challenge. I hope to solve at least a little of it this year.
Thank you for the link, too; I've just added yours to my long list. I think it might have been there before, but in the overhaul some things got lost.
By the way; is the photo of the rose in the top of your title 'Ballerina', 'Mozart' or some other multiflora? I just love it!
Jodi,
The rose on top is Ballerina, one of my favorites. I wrote a post about her here:
http://heirloomgardener.blogspot.com/2007/11/ballerina.html
Thanks for the link!
-Heirloom Gardener
Hi - it's always good to take lots of photographs during the year. That way you can see what does and doesn't work over the seasons and then during the winter quiet time use the photos to plan all those exciting projects for the coming year. The memory doesn't quite work enough on its own! I'm posting a 'time lapse' garden and allotment on my site this year for exactly this reason...
Your garden is beautiful, as is your home, as Ken from Sweden points out. Thanks for linking to my blog over on Blotanical. I really appreciate it, not least because it led me to your lovely blog.
Hi, you have beutifull borders!!! I love them! I foun your blogg by 'piondröm´s' blogg.
Linda
Pam,
Thanks for your comment and your link. Your blog is great.
Best,
Mark
One of the universities in this area makes paths in worn areas of grass where people walk. I guess this is a good idea because these are usually straight paths to where people want to go. Why fight it and have unsightly dead grass. But for the homeowner with light foot traffic an aesthetic meandering path would seem preferable if it doesn't go off too much where people want to walk, especially if you have wonderful plants to look at.
I am also contemplating a path going completely around our home but the task seems too daunting. Good luck with your project and thanks for visiting my blog.
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