Susan Harris
Susan Harris's blog about eco-friendly and urban gardening, plus the adventures of a DC-based garden writer, coach and occasional rabble-rowser.

Border Paths, or How I Stay on Top of my Garden and Reduce the Maintenance

August 7, 2006 · 2 comments

Pathinborder4awebWhat I’m pushing today are double wide borders with paths down the middle or winding through them.  The ones here are just mulch, flat rocks, or the 6" concrete pavers with leaf impressions, but there are lots more good-looking options for more money.

So my testimonial is that these simple, demure paths let me really see all my plants and they let me mother them.  They let me get close enough to hand-water and to stay on top of the weeding.  Close enough to prune away branches that are crowding other plants.  Close enough to keep order, in order words.  And as naturalistic as we get in our design and plant choices, gardening is all about being in control.
Pathinborder1aweb_1
For me, tending to plants is so much like tending to my pets.  In taking care of these other species I live with, both flora and fauna, I worry about their drinking enough water and not getting trampled on.  And I could just look at them all day.

Is it the Live Simply Movement or am I just using the old smell-the-roses bit as an excuse to slow down?  I can go either way on this one.

{ 2 comments }

1 Kathy J., Washington Gardener mag August 9, 2006 at 11:44 am

Can we get a close-up shot of the 6″ concrete pavers in use? Did you make them?

2 Gail August 13, 2006 at 10:35 pm

Your garden is beautiful. You have inspired me to tackle my own.

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