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Garden Gate:  Plants for pathways  |
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emma.birdwhistle
True Blue Farmgirl
187 Posts
Elizabeth Ann
Ontario
Canada
187 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 19 2006 : 06:36:19 AM
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I am planning to give my garden quite an overhauling, after being inspired by time spent in a friend's wild, flower-filled paradise this past weekend. At the moment, my garden is chiefly vegetables, but I can't seem to plant enough eatables to fill all the space, so I end up with a very large and very empty area in the middle that quickly fills up with every kind of weed you could imagine. My friend's advice was that the weeds can stay - I just have to put in more flowers to hide them.  I'd like to build an arbor out of cedar branches to establish a sort of entranceway to the garden, and then create some narrow pathways bordered by perennials to make it easier to make my way around the large garden area.
After all that preliminary rambling, my question is this: Is there anything I can plant along the pathways as an alternative to grass, plain dirt, or elaborate wooden walkways? I was thinking of a kind of low-growing thyme or chamomile. Does anyone know of varieties of these plants, or others, that wouldn't mind being trodden on quite a bit and wouldn't require much in the way of trimming? Something that spreads fairly quickly would be helpful.
Elizabeth Ann
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Thoreau |
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katiedid
True Blue Farmgirl
601 Posts
Kate
West Jordan
Utah
USA
601 Posts |
Posted - Jul 19 2006 : 07:38:18 AM
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Elizabeth Ann
We have some Lemon Thyme planted in a rock garden and around a flagstone path..it is really pretty, grows in thick. It blooms with yellow or purple flowers. The best part is..when you walk on it, it smells great...it will hold up to moderate foot traffic.
Check it out.
Kate |
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - Jul 19 2006 : 09:32:24 AM
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This is a great source for what you are wanting. http://www.stepables.com/index.htm
The only thing they have that I know I wouldn't plant in my own garden is ajuga. It's very invasive.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority." -E. B. White
http://www.betweenthecities.com/blog/ljr/
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katie-ell
True Blue Farmgirl
1818 Posts
Katie
Illinois
1818 Posts |
Posted - Jul 19 2006 : 10:00:12 AM
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| I grow lemon thyme, red creeping thyme (very low), and a gold-edged thyme -- all are wonderful. I would just caution that when they are in flower, the bees are all over them -- which is great for garden pollination, but not good for bare feet! I'm not sure what zone you are in (I'm in zone 5), but I find best results with good drainage (especially in winter) and also some winter protection -- some winters we don't have a lot of snow, so I take pruned evergreen/Christmas tree branches and lay them over the thyme to provide protection from the winter sun, which can burn the thyme over the winter. You are making some beautiful plans! |
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emma.birdwhistle
True Blue Farmgirl
187 Posts
Elizabeth Ann
Ontario
Canada
187 Posts |
Posted - Jul 20 2006 : 04:12:39 AM
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Thank you all for the helpful information. The Stepables website is especially interesting, and I have found lots of ideas there. I'll let you know how it all works out!
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Ann
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Thoreau |
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Buttercup
True Blue Farmgirl
1433 Posts
Talitha
Vermont
USA
1433 Posts |
Posted - Jul 20 2006 : 05:14:31 AM
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Laura, Thank you for sharing that website and Elizabeth Ann for asking in the first place!!
Elizabeth Ann your plans for your garden sound wonderful and I hope it all works out well for you!
Laura I went to the site right away and thought it was so neat..it's all bookmarked for my future reference!
Thank you both!!
Hugz!!
"If we could maintain the wonder of childhood and at the same time grasp the wisdom of age, what wonder,what wisdom,what life would be ours" |
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - Jul 20 2006 : 07:36:39 AM
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You are quite welcome. I'm glad it was so helpful to both of you.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority." -E. B. White
http://www.betweenthecities.com/blog/ljr/
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Mari-dahlia
True Blue Farmgirl
269 Posts
Marianne
Hoosick Falls
New York
USA
269 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2006 : 1:22:02 PM
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| Creeping thyme is very low, hardy and grows very quickly. |
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emma.birdwhistle
True Blue Farmgirl
187 Posts
Elizabeth Ann
Ontario
Canada
187 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2006 : 05:48:45 AM
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Marianne,
Thank you for the suggestion of creeping thyme. It sounds ideal. I think I will end up having quite a selection of creeping plants along my pathways next year!
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Ann
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Thoreau |
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katiedid
True Blue Farmgirl
601 Posts
Kate
West Jordan
Utah
USA
601 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2006 : 07:30:23 AM
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Hey Farmgals~
That website on stepables is fantastic...we live in Utah where over 30% of our culinary drinking water is wasted on yards....wasted meaning folks over water, waste by watering the sidewalk, driveway or road....30%!
We have decided to stop watering our lawn, but I still want a pretty and fun yard for the kids to play on! This website helps alot!
Kate |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2006 : 09:36:16 AM
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I love elfin thyme and pennyroyal too for pathways...but I think you are right that creeping thyme is better for a stepable!! I hope to someday SOMEDAY have mostly things like that..we have a large yard out front...I want to put up a rail fence..we have the wood waiting for that project..and then go from the outside in eliminating the lawn. We are close enough for the kids to walk to the park if they want to roll on grass and they are old enough to enjoy the planting and the herbs too...so I think it is a wonderful idea!!
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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abbasgurl
True Blue Farmgirl
1262 Posts
Rhonda
USA
1262 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2006 : 9:36:27 PM
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How about wooly grey thyme? Another very low growing, great smelling thyme! Wish I could remember where I got mine.
Rhonda
...and I will sing at the top of my lungs, and I will dance, even if I'm the only one! |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2006 : 12:05:39 AM
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As a preliminary ground cover you could try pine straw. When we rake our pine needles, we layer the paths in the garden. They smell nice to walk on too and help with any run-off problems.
Peace |
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emma.birdwhistle
True Blue Farmgirl
187 Posts
Elizabeth Ann
Ontario
Canada
187 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2006 : 04:14:44 AM
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What a wealth of useful knowledge!
Thank you, jpbluesky, for the pine straw idea. I think that would be a good thing for me to try until I get some plants in, to keep my pathways looking like pathways (I'm getting ahead of myself here - the whole thing still looks like a weedy square of dirt at the moment!).
Everything else sounds nice too, especially the elfin thyme, which I would consider planting solely because of its enchanting name.
Thank you again, everyone, for your helpful advice.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Ann
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Thoreau |
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Garden Gate: Plants for pathways |
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Plants for pathways
