There are right ways to build paths, and I did not use any of them for this project.
The area immediately adjacent to the carport was sandy/rocky/clay full of pebbles and packed hard as stone. I scraped out the grass and weeds that eked out an existence there and started pressing in rocks I’d collected from around the yard and garden. I added some bricks and tiles. Tossed in a few shells and some broken glass and pottery.
I worked a small area at a time, often using my hand rake to tear out the vegetation with one hand while I was placing stones with the other. I rarely cleared more than a square foot or so at a time. I dampened the area from time to time, which helped rinse dust and dirt off the stones and tiles and into the crevices, where it set. Some tiles are very shallow and slip around.
Basically, I make it up as I go. For me, there is no loss if I need to redo a section. I like the physical activity, I like clearing space and then defining it with quasi random choices. The value is complete in the choices themselves, so if I need to rip it up and redo, I’ll be happy to. Not the most pragmatic method, but it’s how I have always done creative projects. When a certain result or outcome (say, durability) becomes important, I learn how to achieve it and incorporate that knowledge into new endeavors. But until a skill or refinement becomes necessary, I am happy to do without it.
How do you create?
Zen and the Art of Paving: Off Topic
