Garden Chores

Figure B

However, after much rain, most of the dirt washed out, and the path featured several unsightly gaps To remedy the situation, James fills the gaps between the stones with soil and packs it well.

"Since the rainy season is over," says James, "I'm hoping the dirt will stay in place, at least until the grass gets a foothold in the cracks." And to help the process along, he planted sprigs of Bermuda grass from the lawn in the cracks. "Believe it or not, a sprig this size is about all I'll need between each crack. I'll simply plant the sprigs in shallow furrows, and as long as I keep the area well watered, the grass should fill the gaps within a few weeks."

James considered a number of alternatives to Bermuda grass including some sedums or creeping thyme, but ultimately he decided to stick with Bermuda; it roots in quickly and requires next to nothing in the way of maintenance, and once established, it requires very little water. "What's more, this path gets a lot of foot traffic, and Bermuda can stand up to abuse better than anything I know."

Figure E

As the Bermuda begins growing, James will cut it back with a string trimmer. In the end, the path will have a more natural look, such as this path he created a year ago.

As a finishing touch, James adds solar path lights evenly spaced down the length of the path.