Garden Project - Part 2

Well, I have been remiss to have not updated you on the new patio for my yard.
I actually finished by 4th of July & actually had S’mores on that evening!
I was very excited about the hardscape design by Trish Jensen. It was just what I was imagining. I set to work. I took down the raised beds & finished killing off the weeds & old creeping thyme. I used weed barrier to block out the sun & help smother the plants.
It was then a bit easier to dig them up. I composted a lot of the debris & also sent some to the town green garbage. I rented a small rototiller to help smooth out the soil. That was a lot of fun. I liked using a rototiller to help with the work. I did not want to hire a bunch of people to get the semi-hard work done.
I kept raking the soil until I got a nice surface. I also used a hose to help define the path & patio edges. (I read that tip in a magazine.)
I hauled out the ton of small & medium sized rocks I had chucked under the deck. I knew I would need them in the future! I used these rocks to define the patio & pathway edge. I played around with the shape until I was satisfied with the look.
Now was the time for the weed barrier. I went back & forth with the idea of using weed barrier under the pea gravel. Many articles said that fabric may show itself through the gravel. It was also mentioned that weeds come in anyway.
Well, I decided to use it as I have a drainage problem in some areas & did not want muddy spots. (It is showing through in spots but I just re-rake the gravel to cover it.)
I picked out pea gravel for the patio surface, as I like the look. It is a bit hard to walk in some spots where the gravel is too thick. (I still need to rake out these areas.) I also hired 2 young guys from the neighborhood. Chris & Daniel were a BIG help.
They are pleasant young men with strong backs. Between my husband, Ben, Chris, Daniel & me, the schlepping of gravel took only about 3 hours. I couldn’t believe my project was almost complete.
Next step-plants, containers & lights.

Judy