Hi,
I am looking for suggestions on something I can plant in between raised beds, suitable to walk on but not prone to invading surrounding areas like a weed - instead of the grass that is there now? Or should I not plant anything, if so, what kind of surface would you recommend that won't cost too much.
I am including a picture of some of my raised beds to give you an idea of what it looks like right now...
great beds!
Thanks Dean. But I am fed up with the grass.
You could use wood chips over cardboard in the paths if you have a handy source of wood chips. Tree trimming companies will often let you have them for free.
Gravel also works will for paths. It lets the water percolate in and prevents erosion and grinds up weeds when you walk on it.
If you have a source of recycled pavers or bricks, you could use those with wooly thyme planted in the cracks between the pavers.
I have read of others putting old carpet down. That doesn't exactly appeal to me but I have seen it done.
To many cats to use the wood chips idea, they would make it their litter box in no time. Thanks for the ideas. I would like a brick path, but I thought it would be expensive. Where does one find recycled bricks, and can they be gotten at a reasonable cost?
I really would like to plant something, but I don't know what? Would some of those "walk on me" plants I see at Lowes and Home Depot work for this?
Old roofing shingles work and you can roll a wheel barrow without problems.
Remove the shingles at the end of the growing season and your soil will rejuvenate before next spring. Won't hurt the worm population either.
essential,
I have several raised beds in my garden. I do not have grass in between them. I lay down newpaper, then shredded leaves (I have plenty) and then straw (not hay). Eventually this will break down and make great soil and brings in the worms. I plant carrots arround the outsides of my raised beds. We like alot of carrots. DM
essentialplanet, in this area, used bricks, pavers, pea gravel etc show up on craigslist or freecycle quite regularly. My DH scans the free items for materials.
They usually become available when someone is redoing their patio or driveway and don't want to haul the stuff away or pay someone else to do it. We've gotten a lot of free materials for our community garden that way.
I use broken concrete from the driveway and walkway we replaced with pea gravel in between. It is also very nice with creeping thyme in between (and no gravel). This is in the flower and herb gardens.
The veggie garden has wood chips and they are way too big for any cat to want to use it for litter. As a matter of fact, when my cat was an outdoor cat she didn't like to walk on it at all.
GGG
We have wood chips many paths in the community garden and have not had any issue with the neighboring cats. When I say wood chips, I'm refering to the rough chunk chips not wood shavings.
Ah, thanks for the clarification on the wood chips - that makes sense.
Also, thanks for the tip on finding bricks - I will check both sources. I appreciate all the suggestions.
Please give us an update and post photos when you make the path changes.
Your raised beds are lovely. It will be fun to see what you decide upon for the paths.
I have the rough wood chips too and they seem to adhere to the soil in a mat that can't be scratched through easily. It deters the cats but not the skunks and squirrels that visit me. The wood chips are awesome by keeping the weeds down.
I agree with the idea of the stepping stones you can find inexpensively. Fill in with some different varieties of thyme, oregano, marjoram, chives, etc. and you will have a fragrant herb garden to work in while you tend to your veggies.
EP,
Water conservation is a necessity here in the desert so gravel is used extensively in many landscapes. They have a product here know as 'quarter minus' that I used very successfully around my raised beds. It is gravel that has been pulverized to particles of 1/4" or less in size. I don't know if it is available everywhere or not, I never heard of it before I came to Arizona.
It compacts tightly and and in my experience very few weeds will grow through it. My cost was about $75 to cover the area in the photo (taken last summer). I'll follow this up with a close up of the gravel.
Dan
A closer view of "quarter minus" gravel for pathways.
I have used wood chips, but they may attract termites; depending on your locale and source of chips. Also when I used chips, they had to be renewed almost every year. I have enough trouble moving compost and dirt, let alone wood chips also. About 40 years ago, I picked up some old railroad ties (creosoted)---they don't rot. I dug trenches and set two RR ties, ( 8" x 8" x 12 ft) parallel, between each raised bed. This creates an aisle of 16 to 20 inches, depending upon how straight the ties are. Some had to be cut to length using a chain saw---watch out for metal! Weeds are not a problem--over time some dirt (compost) spills onto the ties; especially when rototilling. It can easily be shoveled up. Not so easy with gravel. Huummm! I was much younger then; I don't think I could manhandle those HEAVY RR ties now. If I were to remove them, it would take an endloader.
I've used road base with great results. many different aggregates that compact well. You could even put flagstone down. Easy to get here in Colorado.
Dann_L, how thick is that layer of 'quarter minus'? Thanks.
Here, I'm on solid sand, and so weeds aren't too awfully bad. But I have considered putting down something between the beds.
I tried to spread it out about 1 in thick. There is another raised bed that isn't in that pic and I'm in the process of building another one. Once I'm done with those I'll bring in enough quarter minus to make it about 2" thick through out.
A lot of the home builders around here use this stuff to make the parking lots at the model homes. When driven upon it compacts nicely and makes a fairly soild surface. Yet it can be raked away if necessary. I was going to lay concrete in my RV parking area but now I'm going to use quarter minus instead. It's so much more cost efficent and doesn't hold the heat like concrete, which around here is a very good thing!
My raised veggie garden was designed to use sidewalk/patio blocks 24x30 inches ion the walkways - the cheapest way to go for a solid surface -I did not want gravel or chips or whatever, The guys that were doing the work had never done anything quite like this before and wanted to put in 'cobblestones' because they thought it would look great. I initially said no but then they suggested they would pay the difference in price or purchase and installation so I said yes. Looks wonderful ( multicolour) and I can walk on it comfortably in bare feet.
You can see it in this pic - I dont have anything else so you get to see Fancy too! She was probably in there stealing the cabbage!
Is that a Blue Merle Collie?
No she is a Blue Merle Shetland Sheepdog ( Sheltie)
Actually, I am sure I gave the wrong description. I worked for someone for a while that had this beautiful dog. When he traveled, I always brought her home with me. One of the most beautiful animals I have ever seen and I have owned many dogs. Her name was Chelsea. I cried when she died of old age. Such a sweetheart.
I like wood chips. You can always "seed" the chips with mushrooms of your favorite choice and they grow along the edges really well. You can find sources online for the mushrooms and advice on what type is good for your area. That is if you like mushrooms.
I used wood chips years ago and found that they provided a great breeding ground for roaches here in the South. In addition, after several years, my pathways stayed wet and soggy and became unpleasant to work on. I have switched to pine straw, which degrades cleanly, and needs only partial annual renewal. A porous landscape cloth (weed block) can be used underneath and left in place or removed when the weeds seem under control.
Laurel
Hi Essential Planet,
I have a different question about your nice raised garden setup. I didn't see any fence around your garden. Are you bothered at all by rabbits etc? I have a fence around my beds at the moment but am planning a couple of new beds with tomatoes and potatoes that I don't plan to fence. Theory goes that the rabbits wont touch these plants.
Kiwiken
Westchester NY.
Hi,
First of all, thank you all for all your suggestions! I really appreciate it. I guess wood chips is where I am leaning mostly to - especially since that is what my husband wanted to do all along.
Lavender... I like the idea of growing mushrooms, I might just give that a try.
Kiwiken, I do have 9 cats, which doesn't make it very rabbit friendly territory I guess...
Heavy straw is another alternative, but if you want to put in something green, white dutch clover has been successful between rows in field situations. It doesn't take heavy traffic, but it does add nitrogen to the soil and hosts beneficial predatory insects.
I would put down two to three inches of road base first. once those aggregates compact its like cement. Wood chips on top would look nice. you won't be bothered by weeds.
essential you have the company fungi perfecti in your area they are really great to work with and are more than willing to help you in your selections for growing mushrooms on your wood chip walks.
Wow--Your raised beds are just gorgeous. I have raised beds, too, but i think you plant better than I do. I read in strawbale gardening just today that someone used roofing felt? in the paths and then bark chips over the top. I am looking for something, too. We put down landscape cloth and then fine gravel, but that isn't working so good now---going into 4th year with the beds. Oregon always grows grass faster and better than any other state except maybe WA. Sometimes thats good and sometimes not.
I have raised Plantain, [asia vegetable type, and others ] and Chamomile [the short kind] in the paths between beds --they don't mind being walked on, and are both useful -- Michael Porter
There's an Asian vegetable plantain? I don't want to sidetrack the thread, but I'd like to know more.
We have plantain that grows wild. It grows in our lawns and flower beds. Not the banana but a leafy plant. Here is a link to the Asian one. http://au.encarta.msn.com/media_1421509752/asian_plantain.html
Thanks! Back to the path question.
I also grow Purslane, --it is good for you also, --and can survive some foot trafic, --Michael
Michaelp,
Do you not have a problem with the chamomile spreading into the paths?
What time of year is best to seed the paths with chamomile?
Do you seed or plant out as seedlings?
Thanks!
I didn't have any problem with the Chamomile, --it was easily pushed out by most other plants, and only did well in the paths where I trampled all the competition, I got the idea from seeing that it grew in my driveway, where all else was smashed by car tires. I just collected the seed from my driveway and used it to sow in the paths, --I also like the fresh flowers in salad, -- Michael
I really like the idea of Chamomile... smells good too! Can anyone tell me if this is a good time to seed here in Oregon?
