An Urban Cottage

Landscape Smart enlisted the help of landscape designer Lesley Blach to create an urban cottage garden for Choy. She designed two faux cobblestone pathways and a patio against a backdrop of layered, colorful plantings. The pathways are made with tinted cement and cobblestone molds, at one-fourth the cost of real cobblestones. Layered plants of varying heights against the fenceline open up the area so that it appears larger. Then she added a circular cobblestone patio as a focal point of the garden, accentuated by other decorative garden accessories.

Blach figures that a professional would charge about $2,500 for the design, materials, and labor (excluding the cost of plants), but do-it-yourselfers could cut their costs to only $350. The project can be completed in two weekends, with the help of a friend for carrying heavy bags of concrete. Blach rates this project a 2 on a difficulty scale of 1 (easy) to 5 (difficult).

Step One: Clearing the Site

Clear the area of any overgrown vines and shrubs to make room for the pathways and seating area. Level the cleared dirt area, and add a 2-inch layer of fresh, rich topsoil (landscape mix). Spread it out evenly with a rake, and tamp it down with your feet.

Determine the placement of the stepping stones along the pathways by taking normal strides and marking the steps with landscapers' spray paint. Measure the length of the path to determine how many stepping stones to make.

Step Two: Do-It-Yourself Cobblestones

Cobblestone forms (or molds), available at home centers for about $17 each, provide a very similar look to real cobblestone, at a fraction of the cost. For each cobblestone stepping stone, you will need an 80-pound bag of quick-drying concrete. Add one gallon of water per bag of concrete, and mix thoroughly to a thick, even consistency. Add a red tint for a more natural, old-world cobblestone look.

Move on to the next step, leaving about 2 1/2 inches between steps. Allow the stepping stones to dry for at least a half a day.

Step Three: Building the Patio

A small circular seating area can be built using the same mold as for the pathways, plus another mold. To mark the location and shape of the patio, lay the two molds side by side, and spray paint around them. Move the molds adjacent to the marked area, and spray paint around them. This will mark a roughly square area. The patio will be about 4 feet wide, large enough for a small bistro patio set.

Remove the molds, and repeat the process for the second half of the round patio (figure E). Mortar between the sections, and allow to dry.

Step Four: Flowers at Your Feet

To soften the edges and add a decorative touch to the cobblestone pathways, plant low-growing, flowering groundcover (such as alyssum and lobelia) between the stepping stones. Plant three to four small plants in each gap, allowing enough room for them to grow. You can mix different varieties or stick with the same for a more uniform look.

Step Five: Rolling Out the Sod

Blach chose dwarf fescue sod, which is easy to lay, tolerates foot traffic, grows slowly to minimize mowing, and is drought-resistant.

Lay out 9-foot strips of sod on top of the fresh topsoil around the patio. Set the strips down edge to edge, and press them firmly together to help the roots grow. Cut the sod around the edges of the patio with a knife, and trim the edges along the curves of the planting beds and ends of the pathways. Water the sod well.

Planting: A Cottage Garden

Blach enhanced the existing garden with colorful, fragrant, flowering plants for a more lush feel. She rearranged the existing plants into a layered pattern, with tall shrubs and plants along the fence, medium-sized plants along the taller ones, and low-growing, colorful plants in front. The layered arrangement creates the illusion of more depth and space. She also expanded a central planting bed between the two paths by adding a birdbath. The flowering plants she chose include:

• Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii), Zones 6-9
• Dahlia varieties, Zones 8-10
• Germander sage (Salvia chamaedryoides), Zones 8-10
• Dusty miller (Senecio cineraria), Zones 8-10