Building a New Garden Path

The past winter and spring months have kept me busy in the garden. The planing, planting, weeding, and watering has been a first priority and I’ve neglected the walkways. Also, I still don’t have my own vehicle and must depend on getting rides to the yard shop. Between all that and the weather, I’ve put off buying the items needed to build my new garden path.

Even though I had put cardboard and mulch down about a year ago, the mulch has broken down and the weeds are coming through. A new path is a good reminder of where to walk too! I know where my veggies are planted, but other people don’t, and if they venture into my yard, they could crush little growth that is difficult to see.

Cardboard and Mulch

Saving cardboard boxes is a regular pastime at my house. I stack them up on the porch, along with shipping paper that comes in boxes. Anything that I won’t use gets burned in the burn barrel, or put out for recycling. The cardboard collection is large, so I had no trouble filling up the walkway.

I had to have the mulch bags to hold the cardboard in place so the wind wouldn’t blow it around.

My son drove me to the Yard Shop to pick up some bags of mulch, and I was in business.

I’m an older lady and know my limitations when it comes to yard work. So the first day I put out the cardboard and set the bags of mulch on top. Thankfully the mulch was dry and the bags were easy enough for me to move.

The following day, I opened up the bags and spread them over the cardboard, adding more cardboard in places that needed filling in.

And there it was – my new garden path!

I’d like some flagstones, or slate pieces, to put on top of the mulch. Maybe I will pick some up at some point.

We also picked up a few bags of mushroom compost and potting soil, which I am mixing up 50/50 in the wheelbarrow and putting around the plants that are currently growing.

Our weather here on the east coast of Florida has been beautiful and fairly cool for about a week now. Have to get this stuff done while we can. Oh, and I just ordered a collection of veggie seeds for the year… will be writing about that soon.

Happy gardening!

Stories for the gardener…