A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 Another patch of patio stones

We have a big lot (it's the front yard of the apartment building).

There's a lot of big ugly patches - these patio stones are an eyesore - we used to have park benches on them but that's a long story.

When we had two cobblestone walkways laid the benches were dismantled. As a few of the tenants are nervous about people sitting out there on the benches int he middle of the night, we decided not to replace the benches.

This is the patch of patio stones I've been dickering with the last couple of weeks - today, I had to finish working with it in a hurry - somebody brought me some new periwinkle rootings from a place that's being renovated, so I had to get a move on.

Here's how it was in the middle of the afternoon:



As you can see, I aimed to bring every other stone back 8 inches or so and plant in the rectangles (I was going to use plain wildflowers or weeds).

Here's what we finished up with - Jeff helping with the beast of burden work, of course:



Then the rain came down and we dashed inside to gobble those delicious tuna salad sandwiches Jeff made.

Guess I'll let him live, eh?

Now as the periwinkle starts growing (which I don't think it will right now), I'll have to make a decision:

1) I could move another couple of stones and let it crawl into the spaces and spread;

2) I could clip the stuff and see if I can get it to bush out.

I already have a few of these plants down in a shady end of the lot. Those are the ones I'm hoping will spread.

The periwinkle will take a few weeks but it will start to grow. Good luck on getting it to bush up. As it grows each "limb" that spreads out will take root as well, that is where you get more clippings from. The periwinkle I have planted, has already spread as much as 2 ft. since April of this year, and I started with just small clippings.
It does look like that would be a nice place to sit and relax though under that tree, though.

I'll keep my eye on it - we might just pull a coupla' more stones out before the month is through.

I saw one of its tendrils ambling across the squares yesterday.

We had a lot of rain, so it's likely it is growing already.

Carly,
just new but I also am hefting paving stones around. Not sure what zone your in but mexican heather grows low and bushy. and it has nice little purple flowers. Might be just what your looking for. Once it gets going you can't kill it. Though I'm in Florida on the east coast. zone nine. you didn't say where you were located at. but this is just a suggestion

Flamona

ooops! Thanks "Catlover" ,
just new to this site and not used to all the bells and whistles yet.

Hey flamona,
9b Florida ...what are you in Pasco or upper Pinellis county? I'm in St. Pete.

Hi Pineapple-Raye
Indian River County right across the state from you. Sebastian.
By the way, you might be interested, we ate our first pineapple of the season today.

Carly,

You might want to look at "carpet phlox" as well for your patio stones, it is an evergreen, and you can get different colors of blooms also.

I'm Toronto, Ontario, Canada - I think it's 6a.

We get frost around mid-October (sometimes later).

Yes, the periwinkle has started growing - faster than I thought it would. We've had a lot of rain and that spot is getting more sun since we did some tree trimming.

I think we'll be moving a couple more patio stones.

Some good ideas here. Thanks.

:-0