The New Path

August moon

What a magnificent moon we had last week. I woke up at four o'clock in the morning and took this picture. 

Meanwhile, since all the plants and trees are too tired,  bedraggled and thirsty to picture, here is the story of my new path:

Can you see it? - Weed covered path

Last winter was very wet and the narrow (two-bricks-wide), winding path through the garden became very slippery because of  mud and standing water. I had laid it myself when I first came to live here and it was by no means a craftsperson job. Some of the bricks were displaced by shrub roots so it was easy  to trip and fall -  which I did.

Muddy path in winter

In the spring I bought a bag of 20cm plum coloured slate chippings and poured them by degrees (they are back-breakingly heavy) into a puddle on the path. I liked the look and they covered the water so I thought it would be a fine thing to spread them all the way up the path. My sister insisted they should be laid on a weed prevention membrane so I bought a roll of that and some U shaped staples to pin it down. My guardian angel grandson Laurence offered to to do the work. 

Before he began I cleared the existing bricks of weeds, which took me several days and  two pairs of gardening gloves. 

Because the path is narrow Laurence was able to cut the roll in half along its length and there was enough to cover the whole length of the path, about 90ft. Several of the staples crumpled while being hammered into the clay, but they certainly kept the membrane in place. 

Three stages of path-building: weedy brick, membrane and chippings

I then bought another four bags of chippings, which covered a few feet of path. My sister and my daughter each gave me more bags for my birthday and thanks to all that help and generosity I have a really purposeful-looking path that gives a sense of order to my wilding garden, but doesn't impose itself aggressively - and doesn't need weeding, The chippings subtly change colour when wet, which adds to their attactiveness. 

                                                                                                         Two views of the new path                                          

           

And, for some reason, the sparrows love it and spend much time congregating there.