On Wed, 06 Jun 2007 07:07:33 -0700, dudley wrote:
30+ years. a bunch of overgrown trees, shrubs and random patio pavers
scattered about.

so far this year i have been removing shrubs and bushes and trying to
create some areas to build some crushed limestone or pea gravel paths
to get around.

Gravel migrates and gets picked up by power mowers and slung with amazing
amounts of force, doing damage to both the lawnmower blades and the
object or person into which the gravel gets slung. I'd strongly
consider pavers, asphalt, concrete or wood chips long before I'd do
gravel paths in a residential setting.

Don't know where you are, but everywhere I've lived, the crews
that trim trees out of the powerlines are delighted to have a
nearby place to dump stuff out of their chipper... all you need
to do is ask. Makes great mulch and great pathways and even fairly
decent driveway extensions when you need a new spot for turning
around. Just don't let a big heap of it sit around in midsummer,
wet. Get it spread fairly quickly so it doesn't heat. Still hurts
to have it caught by the lawnmower blades, but it's not so lethal as
gravel is.

Another thing you might want to consider... if you don't know what those
shrubs you're pulling are, you might want to live with them a year or
so before you do a major overhaul. There might be some real gems
either in or under the shrubbery -- I've always underplanted deciduous
shrubs with minor bulbs, for instance.

Kay