Think a walkway is little more than a glorified sidewalk? Think again! Here, host Maureen Gilmer shows how to revive a plain, boring (and somewhat overgrown) walkway area (figure A) to create a wonderfully welcoming entry area for the potential-packed property featured in this series. On a difficulty scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most difficult, Gilmer rates this project a "3" for the average do-it-yourselfer. From start to finish, it requires about 12 hours of work for spaces around the size of the 7'x23' area featured here. Phases of the project include creating a design plan, removing any existing plants, preparing the soil in the area and adding the new plant material. Supplies:
Compost
1" Ground fir bark
Velcro (TM) plant tape
Pedestal (of desired size and style, suitable for outdoor use)
Plant material (see list)
Galvanized nails Tools:
Standard Gardening Tools
Shovel
Iron Bow Rake
Long-handled loppers
Spading Fork
Garden Hose
Hammer - In creating a planting plan, it's helpful to use landscape design software along with a digital image of the property or planting area. Experiment with different types and sizes of plants to until the results are just perfect.
A graphically enhanced image (as shown in figure B) not only provides a good guideline for plant proportions, its "sneak preview" of the gorgeous future results serves as great encouragement! Expert Tip: (Robert Smaus, garden writer) To get a good sense of arrival for a home's entryway, count on investing both time and labor. Though everyone's preferences on style and plant material are different, many people like the look of lots of plants. Meeting this one criteria can go a long way toward achieiving a lush, attractive landscape. - The plants featured for this particular project are native to the Midwest / prairie region (figure C). As in any landscape project, plant material should be selected based on its compatibility with the climate in which it will be planted.
Tip: As you create your landscape plan, make sure to avoid including any thorny varieties immediately along the walkway edges. - Once you've selected and purchased all the plants for your plan, set them out in a group (figure D), close to the area where you'll be working.
Tip: To reduce the weekend hours you'll spend on this project, create your landscape plan and purchase your plants during the week. - Now you're ready to remove any exisiting plant material in the area. Gilmer suggests using a spade fork for this task, since it makes removal easier and also minimizes root damage.
Note: To prevent plants from growing back, make sure to remove the entire rootball during this process. - The first plant Gilmer and the crew remove (figure E) is one that will be transplanted to a new location on the property, since its unique structure provides ample visual interest.
Other plants -- large, shrubby varieties that have simply outgrown their current space -- are simply removed (figure F), without concern for root damage. Note: Don't underestimate the difficulty involved in this step... this can be a challenging task, so be patient and take breaks to prevent exhaustion, particularly if working on a large area. - Before digging up especially unruly plants, Gilmer trims away the unwieldy branches (figure G) to make it easier to lift the plant out of its space once its roots have been freed. As the plants are dug up, the anchor roots are located and severed to facilitate their removal.
- After the entire area has been cleared, Gilmer uses a bow rake to grade and level the area (figure H), setting its grade two inches below the sidewalk surface. (This guideline is a good rule of thumb for almost any planted area adjacent to a walkway.)
- Gilmer notes that although many people use bow rakes primarily for raking up stray leaves, debris, etc., they're great for pushing dirt outward, making the grading process relatively quick and easy.
- With the area now free of plants and leveled in preparation for new ones, it's finally time to rejuvenate the space with fresh, beautiful plantings!
RESOURCES :
Plants from Monrovia Growers
Monrovia Growers
Website: www.monrovia.com
Plants from Ball Horticultural Company
Various plant material
Ball Horticulture Company
Website: www.simplybeautifulgardens.com
GUESTS :
Robert Smaus
Gardening expert and author
Website: bobsgardenpath.com
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