Do the hard stuff first

Last year we moved from NY to NJ. We love our new home, and the neighborhood. Since moving in, we've spent lots of time discussing how to landscape our property. The property presently has a patio, and very few plantings that were thought out. So we basically have a blank slate to work with.

In need of a path

For now we want to install most of the landscape structure, with a goal of having the gardens ready on time for spring planting in mid-May. The patio is a nice size, and installed correctly. There are a stack of matching pavers on our property, and I plan on adding sidewalks in natural traffic areas, such as between the patio and the driveway. Sidewalks should always be installed where people will walk, they shouldn't be installed where we want them to walk. 

For this phase of the project, I wanted to maximize the use of the extra pavers, making sure I don't run out of material as I do the sidewalk, but also utilize as many as possible. So I dug out the area where I wanted to install the sidewalk, and removed enough pavers along the edge of the patio so I could make it look like a seamless transition from the original patio to the new walk.

My "draft"

Another area needing a sidewalk is the space between the driveway and the side door I installed on the garage last fall. This also requires removal of a Hydrangea to keep the sidewalk from being blocked. I will probably use a grass block, so water will work through the walk into the ground.

Now I have to find someone who will deliver one ton of stone dust. My next job will be to remove the blocks, dig the area out a few inches deeper, install the stone dust, tamp and level it, and reinstall the pavers. I am planning to have it all together by the end of this week, and start installing early next week.

The other walk area

Doing the hard stuff first, in this case, installing the sidewalks and structure, provides a sense of satisfaction. Once completed, the smaller jobs - like planting provide greater satisfaction. Life is like this. If we get the big stuff done first, we can enjoy ourselves so much more in doing the small stuff.

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