Take a Walk

So this is how things started today.... I have the slate placed on top of the existing sod so I could see how much I needed and how far what I had would go. Being a believer in "everything is in perfect order at all times" I happily found that what my friend had given me was just enough to get this pathway connector in place! Also, note in the above shot that I have marked my pathway line with spray paint so I can keep things straight.

Next I removed all the slate, carefully placing it to the side in as close a pattern as possible so I could put the pieces back in nearly the same place.

I took this shot for two reasons, one was to give you the idea of how I removed the sod and second is to show you my BEST garden friend, this pointed shovel. I have owned several over the years and I recommend you buy one if you are a gardener. This little guy can transplant, remove roots, sod, etc. It is the best tool you can have. Okay, enough about that....

Note the wheel barrow in the background. Since this sod is bermuda grass (invasive, spreading) I am collecting it and moving it to composting area in my garden. I want to get as much of this out of this area as possible. To get the sod out, I cut along the painted line with the shovel and then use the same shovel to scrape up the sod from underneath. I am careful not to take out too much sod, since I only want the path to be as deep as the slate is high.

At this point I have removed all the sod and leveled the bed. Note that I have some loose soil, free of grass, waiting the the wheel barrow. I will be using this in the next step.

Now I have replaced all the slate pieces in the location they fit best. I walked the path a couple of times to be sure the pieces were walkable and not awkward to navigate. Once I was satisfied with the placement, I sprinkled the loose soil from the wheel barrow over it to "seal" around the edges. Since I am dealing with Georgia clay, once this is wet and later dries, it will form a sort of mortar that will hold the slate in place.This is the step I like best! It's the finishing touch that allows me to see just how nice that slate looks. It's the filler, pea gravel. I have photographed the load from The Home Depot so you can see what it looks like. It's just pea gravel that costs about 3.00 per bag. Not a huge monetary investment, but it does provide a huge decorative enhancement to the project. It is also a great medium for controlling weeds that will find their way in. I can spray with a herbicide (Roundup) or just pull them out. I do expect, however, some Bermuda grass to pop up, so I WILL be using a little herbicide later in the season.

Once the pea gravel is in place, the garden hose is used to spray it all down. This rinses off the film on the gravel so the color shows and it settles the soil under the slate and help them set into place. This step also rinses off the surface of the slate and really makes it shine. Isn't this a great shot? By the way, the berm covered in straw and the area above the rock wall is home to 300 or so red tulips. I can't wait to see them explode into spring!

Well, here it is completed and realy to walk on! You can hardly see it here, but I have added a couple of pathway lights to brighten it at night and invite visitor to stroll to the backyard garden.

The area to the left of the path is where the vegetable garden will be. The brown grass is the bermuda, a sun lover, so you can see just how much sun this gets in the summer. My next step here to the remove the sod and work the soil.

More about that in later posts.