Did you ever feel like giving up on your lawn and paving the whole thing? Of course you have, but let’s face it, it’s not practical. Your neighbors would probably tar and feather you. Not only that, but you wouldn’t be really happy even if they didn’t. Your yard would look like a desert and feel like one too. Besides, the idea is to plant more trees, shrubs and turf to improve our environment.
Did you ever feel like giving up on your lawn and paving the whole thing? Of course you have, but let’s face it, it’s not practical. Your neighbors would probably tar and feather you. Not only that, but you wouldn’t be really happy even if they didn’t. Your yard would look like a desert and feel like one too. Besides, the idea is to plant more trees, shrubs and turf to improve our environment.
If you fertilized and mowed your lawn properly, you may still have some trouble spots. Those areas that are too shady or too heavily trafficked need to be handled in some other way than turf.
Shady spots might be ideal for a small terrace, a paved area where you can sit and enjoy the cool location. If this is not practical in your landscape, then shade-loving ground covers or shrubs might be used. When it comes to heavy traffic areas, a good solution is a walkway. Walks are as much a part of a garden as are grass, shrubs and trees. But, as with the rest of the garden, walks should be carefully designed. They also must be practical.
As a general rule, a walk should go somewhere. It should serve a purpose. A walk from the sidewalk to the front door is an example of a walk with a purpose. However, the purpose is not served in a practical way if the walk is designed to follow an “s” curve throughout the lawn. On the other hand, if the walk is made to curve about a group of trees or to go round a clump of shrubbery, then the design serves a purpose.
A walk to the front door, from the kitchen door to the garbage can, or a walk around the house as part of a service entrance are all examples of walks that have a useful purpose.
But landscape architects sometimes design walks that are useful in another way. One practice is to run a walk about the border of the lawn, separating the grass from the shrubbery along the lot line. In one corner, the walk may bulge out into patio size for chairs and perhaps an outdoor barbecue.
The walk may serve as a mowing strip or limit the borders of the plant beds. It may provide a comfortable way to stroll through the garden to enjoy plants from a close-up viewpoint. If there are small children, it may even provide a safe tricycle or skateboard run. In some cases, the walk may end up going nowhere but give a sense of depth to a small garden.
When we speak of paved walks, drives or patios, materials that usually comes to mind are stone, concrete and other pavers of various materials. They are durable and extremely versatile. Concrete comes in many textures and colors and may be designed in many ways. For example, large stepping stone, 16-by-16 or 20-by-20 inches, often can be used very effectively for making walks. Zoysia grass may be grown between them, or the grass that is used for planting the lawn. This discourages unwanted skate boarders.
Leveling the ground where stepping stones are to be placed is very important, but if the area is filled with large roots, the stones soon will be tipped one way or another by the expanding roots. Individual stones can be pried up and the roots cut off. But this cannot be done so easily if the stepping stones are connected by asphalt, gravel or concrete.
For leveling, one of the best materials is fine sand or cinder. Level, pack, moisten, let dry, and pack again. Then place the stones.
The design of walks should be thought out carefully and sketches should be made before any work is done. Planning done in advance will save labor, money, and, above all, disappointment.
Don’t overlook the many other materials that are available here in Hawaii. Brick is attractive and versatile but somewhat more expensive than textured concrete. Asphalt can be used and is cheap but not as durable. Pine bark, macadamia nut shells and other organic materials are used for a very rustic effect but it must be replaced to compensate for breakdown. Natural lava stone may be used if you can find the right shapes and sizes. For some really exciting ideas on the subject, books are available at local garden shops and book stores.
This information is supplied by the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. For more information, contact an office near you.