Potager Pathways

It is truly ironic that after posting about my BIG, HUGE pile of freshly chipped mulch that I fear I may actually not have enough! Well, I guess I have mulch everywhere and one place I started piling it on was in my potager. I became so tired of my lawn paths and edging and such around the beds, that I thought this might be an opportunity. Eventually, I would love to "pave" my potager with pavers - or brick or stone - or whatever new opportunity may come my way ... but for now, mulch works. Here's what I started with this spring ...

And here's my progress ...

I am using the same method as my "woodland edge" bed, but minus the overturned sod. I have read you should put seven layers of newspaper down but honestly, I didn't count. I just layered it on and then topped it with mulch. I have a few stubborn weeds sprouting here and there but the grass around my edges is dying and is easily pulled out now, roots and all. I figure it will take me the extent of this season to catch it all.

I redefined the flower bed along the fence. It has three distinct sections: wet prairie, sunflowers, and cottage/annuals (for pollinators). I will be sure to show you how it grows throughout the summer. I also added some new veggie beds. I figure throughout the years layering on compost in my veggie beds (that aren't raised), will eventually make them become mounded.

This is how it ended up this year. I now have a defined area for my potager. It feels much larger. I also feel as though I have "entered" the kitchen garden along my new potager pathways.