Ugly walk to my garden from back steps- transform COMPLETE

Well.. it all starts with this drainage pipe that runs under the concrete between the back door and the garage/storage building.



drain pipe ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )


But, when it does rain, it doesn't drain off fast enough some times and there's standing water... not to mention the slick mud. Which I've almost busted my rear end on a few times.


before ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )


So, I put out an SOS to my brothers for some grating to make a dryer safer walkway out to my garden... without hampering the drainage. Steel grating was WAY to expensive, but my brother "the dragon" found some fiberglass grating at a flea market. Score one for the dragon!
Okay... so it was kinda ugly... but it would work.


( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )





( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )[/i

But then I had another problem... the weedy area between the garage and the drain pipe. I was thinking of some sort of way to put plants over it then I thought about just putting down gravel or mulch... but it wouldn't it just wash down in the drain pipe? So I decided to use some of that scalloped concrete edging as a barrier and then fill it with mulch. Next, I painted that ugly grating to "hopefully" look more like metal. I even painted the old metal grating in hopes they would look similar!


( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )




( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )

But... I'd still have mud to walk through, so I decided on getting some of those precast concrete stepping stones. I went with the checkered-board pattern for two reasons... to add some color... plus it matches the area on the other side of the yard around the bbq pit.


( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )




( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )



Ignore that one lone block sitting there.... I had an extra and was still doing some thinking.

And here's how it looks facing the side of the garage/storage building.


( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )


And of course... I needed to make sure there was some cute stuff there! I had found these ceramic vases and they have just been waiting for a place to call home.



On the far left is a miniature rose.


( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )


And then lately here on the Stew, there's been a few folks showing some succulents. I was inspired to get some too!
First, we have senecio kleiniiformis.

senecio kleiniiformis ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )


Then fenestraria aurantiaca-baby toes.

fenestraria aurantiaca-baby toes ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )


Next is aloinopsis rubrolineata.


aloinopsis rubrolineata ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )

And then a undulatum x arboreum 'Zwartkop'.




a undulatum x arboreum 'Zwartkop' ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )

 

cherylad--BIG improvement! Congrats!

 

Looks great! You did a good job!

 

You may want to look at 'duck boards'. You can design them to be any configuration you want and staining them will last longer than a painted surface.

Originally designed to keep soldiers' feet dry in the trenches of WW1, duckboards are now used for a multitude of applications around the world where keeping feet comfortable and dry are a necessity.


Jerry

 

Thanks everyone! Since it's supposed to be rainy the next couple of days, I'll find out if it works properly or not, which was priority number one.
But, I'm not sure how to "go forward" from here. There's still the area in front of my potting stand... and my envisioned path to the archway.
So... I'll take some photos tomorrow and will be asking for your ideas.

Edited to add:
Jerry.. Duck board sure sounds like it would have worked well here. And I do like the looks of it better than the grating my brother got. But... he only paid $20 for it. Wait... it cost me almost twice that much to paint it!
Darn... how come I didn't has here first?!

 

Yes a good job, if you dont have to walk in water it is a great improvement.I reckon the best part would have been the last part...working out what to plant where.

 

Nice job Cheryl! Great improvements, and I'm sure you aren't finished What gardener is? It will just keep getting better and prettier. I like your checker board patterned blocks. You should expand on them and make a patio, then fill it with containers full of flowers!

 

The transformation is fabulous. When the "finds" turn out that great. Hats off to you.

 

Thanks everyone for the kind words.

Now I need your suggestions on how to proceed.

I almost went back to the store to get enough blocks to add two more rows to the end. But then thought, If I'm going to do that... why not go all the way to the end of building.
But then I have to keep in mind that I need to do something in my potting table area.


potting table area ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )


As you can see, there's a very worn path to it... which also gets slick when it's wet. So, I need to do something there.


Then I eventually want a path back to the archway/gate.


path to archway/gate ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )


And here you can see that I already some stands for plants on the other side.


( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )


I'm not a huge fan of "square", but it was needed here. I'm more of a fan of natural curves... like the path worn to the potting table.
So my dilemma. Do I continue with the pads to the end of the building? Do I put them in front of the potting table and stand(s)? Would that be too much square concrete? How do I continue with a path to the archway?

 

Great Job!!

 

Cherylad--I think I would go for continuity so you don't get a hodge-podge. I would finish the square blocks to the end of the building, and if needed, extend them to the area in front of your potting area (how nice to have a potting area! I'm jealous!) I am not sure about the proposed path to the archway. You could give a suggestion of a path by putting flat rocks under the arch and extending them a short distance through the grass. I have done this with a garden gate & I love the look. It actually is the area just before a gate/arch and just after that tends to get a lot of foot traffic. I wouldn't cut up your lawn too much with an actual path but that is just my preference. If you want a path, I think it is ok to use a different material, maybe a more natural one to distinguish between service areas (square tiles) and a meandering path (flat stones). What do you think?

 

Cayuga... thanks for responding for plea for help.
I sat out there today thinking on what to do next. And thought I'd post a couple more pics to give some sort of idea how much space there is for me to work with.
Does this help any?

To aide with the distances... the water hose is just about where 2 more rows would be. The pads are 1 square foot. And it's just a regular old lawn mower.


2 more rows? ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )

And now... showing where they pads would be if they continued to the end of the building.


to the end? ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )


An idea that came to me... without adding further to the existing pads and keeping continuity... I could make a path by using round and square pads... alternating the colors... and have them lead up to the potting table, that would have a square pad extended in front of it by a couple of feet.


another idea? ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )

And then perhaps I could use the same for the pathway to the gate?
Thoughts?

 

Cherylad--That was a good idea to put the hose in the two places to aid visualization. I think I would opt for 3 more rows rather than 2 or 4. 2 looks a little shy and 4 looks too far. I think to extend it almost to the end of the building, but with a slight indent would look good.

Re the tiles & circles across the lawn...I am not a big fan of them, but many people do like them. I think it is individual preference.