finish the dry stream bed - check!

The best idea I've ever had for a kid-friendly garden was to make some pathways through the deep garden on the hill at the back of our yard.  The kids love to wander through the garden, as well as to play chase.  And this way they're allowed to run through the garden and I know the plants are safe.  But since it's a hill, I decided that a dry stream bed would look really nice.  Way back a year and a half ago I dreamed up the idea, planned it, then planted it that spring.  Here's what it looked like then.

I finally got around to finishing it this week!  Yay!  It's been on my big project to-do list for a while!!  Actually, I don't know what took me so long because it didn't take much work at all.  First, I weeded the pathway, dug out a couple inches of soil and levelled it.
Looks better already, don't you think?

Then, I put down landscape cloth (the only place where I have used the stuff in my yard, by the way) and a couple hundred kg's of 'rainbow rock' from Burnco. 
I'd like to spend a little time arranging some larger rocks on the edges, but there's no point in doing that just yet.  My 18-month old has already starting moving the rocks around the yard for me...!  I'm hoping that once the dry stream bed isn't so new anymore, she'll find something more interesting to do.  In the meantime, the kids have discovered that the rocks warm up nicely in the sun and they like to go lie on them to warm up after being in the freshly filled, freezing cold wading pool.  I'd say the dry stream bed is a hit!

Comments

[Allison]

This idea is brill! Since I am in the process of tearing apart my front garden but still have three kids (six and under) who are unlikely to stay out, I think something like this should be something I try to include!

[Calgary Garden Coach]

Thanks Allison! And I didn't mention it here, but there is another pathway on the other side of the garden and around the back too, all connected, so the kids can actually run circles in the garden. Very important for playing chase!
Cheers,
Janice