the garden path

So this is what I have been working on.
During this record-breakingly hot summer I have been trying my hand at landscaping a footpath from my driveway to Dad’s Annex. I uprooted lots of grass and weeds, toped the existing path with a layer of Australian pine needles, of which I have an abundant supply. (They keep down the undergrowth.) Then a layer of sand/dirt excavated from the annex’s foundation. And onto that is stomped/pressed/embedded all kinds of stuff including shells, rocks, concrete stepping stones I made - some with Dad’s help, driftwood and rocks from his sizable collection, and pieces of tile and marble I have collected. When finished, I will poor diluted glue on the packed sand and see how it stands up to weather and time. The new beds I am creating will be filled with good soil, planted with pansies and show off my collection of Dad’s “birdcastles.“



It is hot, slow, sweaty, labor-intensive work, and sometimes it feels like punishment.

But when it is done it will be magical.