New Oak Tree Path

Finally in autumn 2005 the Oak Tree Path in the Hen House Gardens gets its third and final modification - with just a little bit of plant shifting. Hopefully I've now got 'it' right!

The first path (Oak Tree Path Mark One) was 'constructed' - a word which implies rather more than any of my paths deserve - in the year 2001. It was a thoroughfare from the water race out onto Duck Lawn, rather tight and narrow - turning a ninety degree angle underneath the Scarlet Oak, passing the old gum tree stump, and squeezing through a mass planting (more accurately a mass self-seeding) of Euphorbias.

Beware of Cute Little Flaxes

The entrance to Duck Lawn (or exit, depending on one's travel plans) was punctuated on one side with the cutest little native grass, and on the other with the cutest little green flax.

It's quite simple, really - the cutest little native grass bulked out, and acquired sharp cutting edges, and the cutest little green flax grew... and grew... and grew...

The Second Path

The Oak Tree Path Mark Two was even more mathematical in design, as the path was re-routed in the summer of 2004. There were now two right angles, and the path pushed its way between the big bronze flax and the cluster of John Clare roses.

Its point of emergence on Duck Lawn was now free of cute green plants with sharp edges - just wine coloured Heucheras on one side, and blue flowering perennial Scabiosa on the other.

Gardening Balance

There were two problems - daft clumps of spring bulbs in the path middle, and the extraordinary balance required (on top of small shuffling footsteps) to stay on track.

The David Austin rose John Clare is a lovely rose - but not to wobble into, or fall on top of. And from the rose's point of view, it drops its petals easily in normal conditions, let alone when squashed by a gracefully declining head gardener.

The Third Path

At the start of the very un-newsworthy Hen House garden make-over in autumn 2005 it was obvious that the Oak Tree Path was too small and too silly. The Oak Tree Path Mark Three was created easily (mentally, anyway) in a moment of extreme hands-on-with-dirty-fingernails gardening.

So sensible, really - it curves really gently (it's almost straight) from the Pittosporums by the water to Duck Lawn. Finally, common travel-sense has prevailed. John Clare in particular is really grateful.

I've had to dig out the original spiky plant - but several juvenile seedlings of varying size and age are growing nearby. I've had to clip back the Lavender - but I should have been doing this anyway! Why didn't I think of this path route before? Now I can walk wobble-free, and there's even room for the wheelbarrow.

Technical Footnote

Nearly all of the Moosey paths, including the Oak Tree Path, have river stone edges with garden dirt in between. Thus re-routing them is quick and easy - an instant new path appears in a matter of hours. With a few cosmetic edge plantings the illusion of permanence can be created in an afternoon!