Flagstone Pathway…

On one side of my home, we have a pathway made with flagstone.  it is truly one of my favorite parts of my landscape.  the walkway has been host to several different plantings that have started out beautiful, but over time, have just grown to large for their spot.  Seems like every year I remove, plant an seed new plants that I think will be perfect for this area, but I am always disappointed with the results after some time.  I know these photo’s look like it was beautiful, but like I said, the plants grew too large for the area and many would fall over into the pathway.

 

2005/2006 is where it started…(a blank slate) a strait gravel pathway with healthy dirt that was brought in for each side of the pathway.  I think this photo is a great example that all of us gardeners start ‘somewhere’, right?





Summer of 2008 is when we put in the flagstone pathway…it certainly didn’t take long for me to start filling the area with moss and miscellaneous plantings.

Which quickly (by summer of 2009) became somewhat of a jungle.  I realized the creeping jenny was not my friend, although looking at this photo’s she is quite lovely…but very invasive for this tiny space.  What was once a small daylily quickly was finding itself very happy and multiplying like crazy. 2009 is the year my dad and I planted a row of gorgeous red camellia's in hopes of covering the horrible orange color that we stained the fence with. 

By the end of the summer of 2009 this is what this space looked like.
 

another view…

I recently removed almost everything and started over, in hopes that next year the look I am going for will evolve into what I have in my mind.  I still want the cottage look with whimsical foliage and blooms somewhat spilling into the pathway, yet still have somewhat of a formal look to it.  To accomplish this look, along each side of the gate, I have planted boxwood – with the idea that ‘eventually’ it will grow large enough to be shaped into a hedge. Also planted in this area are the following plants.

Coral Bells, Poppy Anemone Bulbs, Lady’s Mantle, tulips, snapdragon seeds, iris, strawberries, bleeding hearts, variety of roses (just a few that are there now are pictured), white oriental poppy, columbine, hollyhock, opium poppy seeds, red camellia, false mallow, johnny jump ups and scabiosa.  I'm pretty sure I threw some English bluebells in there too at some point this summer.

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So here it is, the flagstone pathway all cleaned up and ready for next spring/summer of 2013. I of course had to include both views for you!

oh, I forgot to include this little ‘volunteer’…any idea what it is? I’ve been letting it grow in hopes I’ll figure it out, but I don’t have a clue yet what it is????

To see where else I am linking to this week – please check my “Cottage Links” label…Please link up to this weeks Garden Party (going on right now)! xoxo, tracie

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