making a bark/gravel path
 

Before I launch into attempting to turn the grass between my hedge and
flower bed into a path, I felt I ought to find out what more experienced
DIYers recommended!

The hedge is hawthorn and about 8 foot high, the gap between hedge and
bed is 5 foot wide and about 60 foot long, currently grass.

Could I put a weed suppressant blanket down on top of grass (killed or
not) and then shovel bark or gravel on top or have I got to dig out the
path etc etc?

Of course i am hoping it's a matter of killing off the grass and laying
the weed blanket on top :) It would be an awful lot to dig.

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy

making a bark/gravel path
 

On May 5, 5:29*pm, Janet Tweedy wrote:
Before I launch into attempting to turn the grass between my hedge and
flower bed into a path, I felt I ought to find out what more experienced
DIYers recommended!

The hedge is hawthorn and about 8 foot high, the gap between hedge and
bed is 5 foot wide and about 60 foot long, currently grass.

Could I put a weed suppressant blanket down on top of grass (killed or
not) and then shovel bark or gravel on top or have I got to dig out the
path etc etc?

Of course i am hoping it's a matter of killing off the grass and laying
the weed blanket on top :) It would be an awful lot to dig.

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy

Creating any sort of all weather surface is hard work/expensive.

The weed blanket needs something on top, it will wear away get damaged
otherwise. Usually thinnish layer of gravel. Poor job and ineffective
when the material on top gets filled with fines.

To do a good job, remove topsoil, put down scalpings or similar.
Get in mini-excavator and and a dumper. You will need to find a place
to dump the soil.
The excavator/dumper will both excavate and fill the path.

If there' s not much traffic, just mow the grass.

making a bark/gravel path
 

In article ,
says...

Before I launch into attempting to turn the grass between my hedge and
flower bed into a path, I felt I ought to find out what more experienced
DIYers recommended!

The hedge is hawthorn and about 8 foot high, the gap between hedge and
bed is 5 foot wide and about 60 foot long, currently grass.

Could I put a weed suppressant blanket down on top of grass (killed or
not) and then shovel bark or gravel on top or have I got to dig out the
path etc etc?

Of course i am hoping it's a matter of killing off the grass and laying
the weed blanket on top :) It would be an awful lot to dig.

In a very similar situation I laid old wool carpet, cut to the width of
the path, upside down (looks neater), and covered with wood chips
(=chipped treewaste, free from a contractor who needed to dispose of it.).
The edge of the bed has a wooden strip separating bed from bark. The whole
thing has lasted 10 years but at some time in the future I will need to
top up the chips.

I can get old carpet free and delivered, from a local carpet co. When
laying new carpets they have to take up and remover the old ones and pay
to dispose of them. I specify wool on a canvas backing. Nylon on foam or
rubber backing breakd down faster and ends up as a horrible mess.

Janet

making a bark/gravel path
 

On 05/05/2012 17:29, Janet Tweedy wrote:

Before I launch into attempting to turn the grass between my hedge and
flower bed into a path, I felt I ought to find out what more experienced
DIYers recommended!

The hedge is hawthorn and about 8 foot high, the gap between hedge and
bed is 5 foot wide and about 60 foot long, currently grass.

Could I put a weed suppressant blanket down on top of grass (killed or
not) and then shovel bark or gravel on top or have I got to dig out the
path etc etc?

Don't use bark. The *&^!$* blackbirds will fling it everywhere in their
search for dinner! And, in any case, it will eventually break down and
turn into a (fairly) decent medium for growing weeds. Use gravel or
granite chippings.

--

Jeff

making a bark/gravel path
 

In article
,
harry writes
If there' s not much traffic, just mow the grass.


Well that's why it's grass at the moment!

But weeds come through and nettles from house next door and a bark path
would have saved a lot of work, stopped some weeds. It's very shady and
not used much.
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

making a bark/gravel path
 

In article ,
Janet writes
I can get old carpet free and delivered, from a local carpet co. When
laying new carpets they have to take up and remover the old ones and pay
to dispose of them. I specify wool on a canvas backing. Nylon on foam or
rubber backing breakd down faster and ends up as a horrible mess.

Janet


Bravo Janet! a wonderful idea, i have a fair amount of carpet that i
bought as a sort of cheap end of roll when carpeting a spare bedroom and
it's definitely not nylon so might do the trick, also mounds and mounds
of prunings from the four trees I had done about 6 months ago.
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

making a bark/gravel path
 

In article ,
Janet Tweedy wrote:

Before I launch into attempting to turn the grass between my hedge and
flower bed into a path, I felt I ought to find out what more experienced
DIYers recommended!

The hedge is hawthorn and about 8 foot high, the gap between hedge and
bed is 5 foot wide and about 60 foot long, currently grass.

Could I put a weed suppressant blanket down on top of grass (killed or
not) and then shovel bark or gravel on top or have I got to dig out the
path etc etc?

You don't even need to kill the grass, but how successful a quick
job would be will depend on your soil. My guess is that it's fairly
heavy, because grass makes a perfectly good path in sandy soil.

Or, to step back a bit, why do you want to replace the grass with
something that is likely to require more maintenance?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

making a bark/gravel path
 

In article ,
Janet Tweedy wrote:
In article
,
harry writes

If there' s not much traffic, just mow the grass.

Well that's why it's grass at the moment!

But weeds come through and nettles from house next door and a bark path
would have saved a lot of work, stopped some weeds. It's very shady and
not used much.

Don't bet on it - on either count! Nettles are stopped as effectively
by mown grass as a path, and ground elder, greater bindweed and lily
of the valley (plus others) will run under several feet of paving
slabs, let alone gravel.

It's a bit like paving versus decking!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

making a bark/gravel path
 

"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...

Before I launch into attempting to turn the grass between my hedge and
flower bed into a path, I felt I ought to find out what more experienced
DIYers recommended!

The hedge is hawthorn and about 8 foot high, the gap between hedge and bed
is 5 foot wide and about 60 foot long, currently grass.

Could I put a weed suppressant blanket down on top of grass (killed or
not) and then shovel bark or gravel on top or have I got to dig out the
path etc etc?

Of course i am hoping it's a matter of killing off the grass and laying
the weed blanket on top :) It would be an awful lot to dig.

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy

If it were me I would roll out the Membrane, use tanalised roof battens to
form the edges and fill in with a course Bark. (use short lengths of batten
as pegs to hold everthing in place)

I would not use chippings or gravel as weeds will be worse and it causes
problems when collecting hedge cuttings for shredding. Bark has the
advantage that should you want to move or alter things it is a lot easier to
lose than stones!


--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

making a bark/gravel path
 

On Sat, 5 May 2012 19:09:32 +0100 (BST), wrote:



Or, to step back a bit, why do you want to replace the grass with
something that is likely to require more maintenance?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I'll second Nick on this. I have gravel paths on membranes and have to
hand weed them all regularly (I don't like using residual-type weed
killers) and, where next to grass, chop back the spreading roots
despite there being a continuous metal (Everedge) barrier between
grass and gravel.

When leaves fall on grass a quick run of the mower gets them out of
the way; you cannot do that on gravel.

I'm thinking of lowering the gravel levels (the paths are about 4
inches deep), putting in a layer of coloured concrete and then
pressing the gravel back into the top of that so there's no scope for
anything which will give roots a chance to collect amongst the gravel
(over time gravel rubbing on gravel will create a sandy element).

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the asylum formerly known as the
dry end of Swansea Bay.

making a bark/gravel path
 

In article , writes
Don't bet on it - on either count! Nettles are stopped as effectively
by mown grass as a path, and ground elder, greater bindweed and lily
of the valley (plus others) will run under several feet of paving
slabs, let alone gravel.

It's a bit like paving versus decking!



Yes but if I do what Janet suggests and put a board on the bed side and
also use weedkiller down path wouldn't that help?
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

making a bark/gravel path
 

In article , writes
Or, to step back a bit, why do you want to replace the grass with
something that is likely to require more maintenance?



Because I could go down to the middle of the garden with slightly
drier feet than i do now :)

I usually go down the middle of the lawn but a drier surface like
chipping would help.

Besides which my lawnmower has gone back to sulking after every two runs
of the lawn. (yes we have been through all the things it might be on
this newsgroup :) ) but for a time after the last repair/service it did
work, now it doesn't so grass cutting can be a bit of a chore even with
a Hayter harrier.
--
Janet Tweedy

making a bark/gravel path
 

In article ,
Janet Tweedy wrote:

Or, to step back a bit, why do you want to replace the grass with
something that is likely to require more maintenance?

Because I could go down to the middle of the garden with slightly
drier feet than i do now :)

I usually go down the middle of the lawn but a drier surface like
chipping would help.

Grrk. The problem about that is that it collects leaves, which
absorb water and turn into sticky humus. Generally, drier means
better drained, which means raised, so you might be better off
just laying some sharp sand on top, and growing a slightly raised,
well-drained grass path. I have not done that, but it has the
right feel.

My path is 3'x2' paving slabs, which are a bit of a b*gg*r to
lay, and still aren't perfectly dry where the moss grows or they
are no higher than the surrounding area. But they do work best.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

making a bark/gravel path
 

On 05/05/2012 19:09, wrote:

Or, to step back a bit, why do you want to replace the grass with
something that is likely to require more maintenance?

There is nothing that requires more maintenance than grass.

--

Jeff

making a bark/gravel path
 

On 05/05/2012 19:19, Charlie Pridham wrote:

If it were me I would roll out the Membrane, use tanalised roof battens to
form the edges and fill in with a course Bark. (use short lengths of batten
as pegs to hold everthing in place)

I would not use chippings or gravel as weeds will be worse and it causes
problems when collecting hedge cuttings for shredding. Bark has the
advantage that should you want to move or alter things it is a lot easier to
lose than stones!

Over a dozen years ago we had a weedproof membrane and 2" layer of
granite chippings put down to replace the back and front lawns (I /hate/
lawns!). Weeds have never grown through, although over the years some
have grown on top of the chippings/WPM. These are very easily pulled
up. I have never had a need to resort to any persistent weedkillers to
prevent weed growth on the chippings - unlike the paviers which surround
the house where quite a few weeds germinate. Many leaves fall on the
chippings (mainly from an accursed sycamore over the road, which also
adds its seeds!), but I just wait for a few dry days and then vacuum
them up. I usually do this once in autumn and once in spring.

As I posted earlier, bark is fine in theory but the blackbirds fling it
everywhere, and it eventually breaks down into a fertile medium for weeds.

--

Jeff