Slate walkway
I’m a firm believer in function over everything. If it’s pretty but doesn’t work, it needs to change. With that in mind, I recently completed my first functional garden project: a walkway to the hose on the east side of the house.
Before
The previous owner had beautiful landscaping in place with boxwood bushes, ground cover, and lots of other interesting plants. Altogether, It did a wonderful job covering up the hose against the house. My issue wasn’t how it looked, it was the fact I didn’t have easy access to it.
My plan was to clean up the bed and create a slate pathway to the hose.
Ready to roll
Here’s what I used:
Top soil
Weed fabric
Scissors
Preen
Slate
Mulch
Wheelbarrow
First, I transplanted the boxwood and ground cover that were in the way.
Next, I used top soil to level out the ground, but also to create a gradual descent away from the house. This will help prevent future flooding issues.
Then, I measured and cut weed fabric for the slate pieces to sit on top of.
Finishing Touches
Now that the slate pathway was complete, I was ready to finish off the bed with mulch!
I could have easily spread the mulch and called it a day, but I wanted to make sure the weeds were gone for good (or at least for the rest of the year). The best way to keep weeds at bay is to apply Preen (or any weed killer) and then lay down weed fabric.
This was my first time using weed fabric, but I quickly came to realize it’s the real MVP in weed control. No proper landscaping is complete without it!
Voila!
Before
After
Before
After
This pathway has made such a difference, I no longer have to squeeze through bushes to access the hose. I’m really proud of this practical and functional landscape project!
