WALKWAY

Shortly after we purchased the house where we live, we found out that it had a bit of a drainage problem.

A bit.

We also needed to replace and update the entire septic system so that it was up to code.

Hence we had to tear out every bit of garden and landscaping there was—except for the mature oaks and redwoods.

The drainage experts I hired then told me that we must install extensive curtain drains in many areas of the yard. Something like 500 feet of curtain drains.

They went on to tell me that I could not have any plant material next to my house. In other words no beautiful hydrangeas at the entrance to my porch, no shiny green leaves and perfect camellia blossoms to greet guests as they walk up the front steps. No flower blossoms peeking over my windowsills.
I had to install something other that plants—masonry would be best. Were they crazy? How could I live in
such a cruel and barren world?

“What do you mean masonry?” I asked this, this so-called expert.

“Well ma’am, you know, like a walkway or a patio.” he said.

“So, why can’t my walkway have plants?” I said.

“It can ma’am, on the side farthest from the house.” He said, trying to
appease me.

I wanted plants on both sides of my walkway.

“Why can’t my walkway have plants on both sides?” I said indignantly.

Ma’am we’re trying to keep water from seeping under your house into the crawl space area.

“What’s wrong with a little water? Won’t it just evaporate eventually? Why can’t I have plants on both sides of my walkway?”

“Well ma’am, because water could collect under your house causing black mold to grow. You and your family could develop some terrible chronic respiratory disease. You might even have to tear down your house because the black mold would get inside the walls and you could never get rid of it, not from your house or your bodies.”

I starred into my drainage experts eyes for a long moment. I could hear the sound of birds chirping and the distant buzz of a chainsaw.

“I guess plants on one side of my walkway would be O.K.”

Since I couldn’t surround my house with beautiful plants I settled for a beautiful walkway. I didn’t want just any walkway. I wanted something different.

Something no one else had.

My house is a Victorian farmhouse. I thought a walkway and a patio that was a bit whimsical would be best. I am also a mosaic artist and I wanted something that was inspired by mosaics. Maybe something that even included some of my mosaics. Maybe a mosaic within a mosaic.

One last thing that I insisted on was used materials. I wanted to reuse recycled material.

I swung a good deal on some used bricks from an old building in Chicago.

Some of the bricks still had graffiti paint on them. They were beautiful. I had just ripped out the patio of a rental we owned. The concrete had an old green tint to it.

The chunks of concrete were very cool. So I came up with a design using both the bricks and the old concrete. In different parts of this design I would place small mosaics that I made.

Here is a little photo essay on the progress and the finished walkway.

Now I need to come up with a good outdoor kitchen design and my husband needs to come up with the money to build it.

Comments

[Annie in Austin]

Chigiy, your design is stunning - talk about making the best of a situation! The recycled bricks look wonderful in this setting.

Some trees seem to have their roots in the construction zone - did they survive after the walkway was finished?

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

[Ottawa Gardener]

I love spirals! It's beautiful and unique. I can just imagine my husband's face if I asked those same questions to the 'drainage men'. He thinks I a garden nut... he might be right.

[chigiy]

Annie, I'm glad you like the design. I showed it to a designer friend of mine before we did the work and she looked at me like I was on acid or some other psychedelic.

As for the trees, I had an arborist come out before we did everything. He gave me some advice. The only tree that isn't completely healthy after the work is a large oak that runs along our property line and the street. You can't see that one on my plans but one of the curtain drains ran really close to the roots. Then the county paved the road on the other side of it. Yikes.

[chigiy]

Dear Ottawa Gardener,
I love the spirals too.
I'm a very curvy garden designer and my husbad doesn't understand why I don't make every thing in straight rows.
I'm about to lay out my veggie garden which is in a spiral too. This is totally throwing my husband into a tail spin.

[Apple]

The hardscaping came out beautifully! I can't imagine undertaking such a project. I've been enjoying reading some of your other posts. I planted daisies and oswego tea together for the contrast between red and white. Would have been beautiful if they'd bloomed together.

[Carol]

I love your walkway. I bet that took some patience to do!

[Shawn McCadden]

Real nice job on the walkway project. Or was it a water control project! I love your use of recycled materials. Laying the bricks in that pattern must have been a challenge to lay out. I have been using granite scraps from a $1.00 per piece pile at a local stone yard to build walks and a pation at my homes. Lots of work but well worth it for the apperance and the satisfaction. It seems to look better with age.

[chigiy]

Shawn,
Thanks for the comment.
Send me some pictures of you walkways and patios. I'd love to see them:)