Paths

One of the good/bad things about this addition is that it has seriously restricted outside access to my back yard. Good for safety, bad for my own day-to-day yard travel. Now everything that comes into the back yard must come through the house or around the narrow east side. This has meant a lot more foot traffic on that side of the house.

For that reason, I decided I needed a more traffic resistant path than I had before (grass). This is where many of the pavers that I had saved from the front, and much of the sand/gravel that I sifted out of my concrete deconstruction, ended up.

I started in the still recently torn up east side, toward the front. Being the narrowest spot in the traffic pattern, it will get the heaviest traffic and I decided to create a well organized path here (see gravel). When the space widened, I added another planting bed. As gravel was produced, I continued this concept back as far as the neighbors garage, where there will eventually be a gate and a fence.

At this point the style will change to something looser and more curvy. This is partly to complement the shade garden I want to put here, but mostly I want to use up the materials I have available, broken pavers and round stones.

First, the sand and gravel.

Over that the pavers create a sort of stepping stone effect among the round stones.

This path will end at a sort of stone threshold and gate leading into the back yard.

The rest of the pavers have been used to create a walking area under the eaves around the house. Narrow in the front...

...and widening to a comfortable path on the west side, where I hope to have a vegetable garden.

And some became temporary stepping stones for disturbed areas in the front...

...and in the back where the concrete came up. I don't know what I want to use eventually, but this will work for now.