Pathways I Have Known

  Maybe you are looking for ideas for a pathway through your yard or garden...or maybe, like me, you just love pathways. Whatever brought you here, I hope you enjoy taking a stroll through the garden, a hike through the forest, or just a walk in the park. Brick, stone, sand, or grass, wooden or strewn with leaves....I love pathways!

 Some of my favorite pathways are from Mom and Dad's old place. 

Doesn't this old brick pathway just invite you to 

walk down the hill to the garden?

And once you get to the garden....

you can't help but follow the maze of lush green pathways.

Once you make your way back up the hill, 

you'll find more pathways at the front of the house.

You can take the paving stone pathway 

leading through more flower beds to the driveway,

or if you prefer, 

this stepping stone pathway leads around the other side of the house 

where you can enjoy sitting on the shaded deck.

This pathway in our old yard, is a mix of rocks and split logs.

There's also a little stream to step across, hidden in the flowers.

This leaf strewn pathway meandered through the trees in the same yard.

This well worn path was created by a motor bike and ATV...

but it sure looks pretty surrounded by all those dandelions!

No pathway lover can resist a boardwalk!

This one is located in Sprucewoods Park.

I like them so much, we made one in our own back yard!
Not quite the same, but I like the way it turned out.

Wood chips, make a nice covering for pathways. 

We had such a good time walking these ones 

through the English Garden in the Assiniboine Park.

These brick pathways led us through the Butterfly Gardens, 
located in the Assiniboine Park Zoo.

Then there are pathways that I love for sentimental reasons.

This sandy road leads up the big hill at Jackson's Lake.

And this trail leads back down to the lake.

It's been a few years since we've been hiking

but I love these trails at Spruce Woods Park.

There's an amazing view from the top of this trail.

And closer to home...
our trails through the Spruce Woods Wildlife Refuge.

And these ATV trails along the edge of the forest.

  What is your favorite pathway? Stepping stones across a stream, a meandering garden path, or do you prefer the path less travelled? Life is full of pathways....choosing the right one makes all the difference.

Pallet Walkway Cheat

  

  I'm sure you've seen all of those amazing pallet projects on Pinterest, just like I have. Maybe you even went out and picked up some pallets, with great plans for all the awesome things you could create.....and maybe you learned some of the same things I did................

First, I found out that pallets make a lovely backdrop for wild flowers!

 The year after we built our house, I started on a big project in our back yard....a pallet walkway. Because our yard is pure sand, I figured we could save on some top soil, by making wooden walkways insted of paths. I got all of the pallets into place, and they looked great, except the gaps between the boards needed filled....which would require dismantling other pallets. 

That's when I found out what you probably already know....it's a lot of work to take pallets apart. I even recruited my boys to help take them apart, but they gave up after several boards coming off in splinters. 

  So, my walkway sat there, unfinished. After a couple of years, the weeds had moved in, and my dreams of a beautiful boardwalk through the garden were growing dim....pieces of plywood laid on top of the pallets wasn't quite what I had in mind.

Then this spring, I decided to just pull out the pallets and redo the entire walkway...nope I wasn't ready to give up. I ended up replacing the pallets with new ones, and moved the walkway to a new area....and again it sat unfinished. But then, Brian had a great idea...forget dismantling pallets, he'd just buy treated fence boards, and lay them length ways on top of the pallets.

Jeremy helped out too....so much easier than taking pallets apart!

He even found a way to make the project fun!

Hmmm...I wonder if this is how he'll look when I bring up the next project!

Not as inexpensive as a true pallet boardwalk; the fence boards cost about $100, but it's done, and we have a nice clean pathway from the patio to the back door.

Where the pathway used to be is now more garden space.

And I can sit on my patio and enjoy the view...

while I think of the next project for Brian to do.
Yup, I learned a lot through this pallet project...
But one thing I already knew....
My husband is a pretty smart fella!