Walkway. What to do?

9 years ago

This is the entrance to our home. I'm mid project where we plan to plant some box woods to line our entry path. Grass is tough to grow and takes way too much water to keep green. Any thoughts on what to do with the grass area? We're at a loss.

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gustaviatex

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Lovely walkway. Boxwoods are high maintenance; always needing hedging and pruning to keep under control and looking neat. What zone are you in? There are some nice ground covers you could use depending on the climate.

Try a Houzz search on "Brick Pathway" for some ideas other than boxwoods.

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Comments (10)

grapefruit1_ar
9 years ago
Your pathway looks great!!!
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The Red Dawn
Original Author
9 years ago
We're in zone 8. I don't mind the maintenance of boxwoods. We're surrounded by English Laurel. I'm a trimming machine.
emmarene9
9 years ago
I think you handsome new walk will not be enhanced by a hedge on each side.

Is grass difficult to grow because of shade or some other reason. There are ground covers that will grow in partial shade. One I have is Ceratostigma Plumbaganoides. I like that it can be mowed now and then. It does need water, but not as much as lawn.
Peter Kaestner
9 years ago
Go to your local nursery and get recommendations for ground covers. That's your best bet for finding what goes well in your area. I'm not a fan of boxwood hedges either.
chiflipper
9 years ago
Coordinate your plant selections AND your watering system. Some ground covers prefer drip irrigation while others need overhead sprinklers.
The Red Dawn
Original Author
9 years ago
Our general thought on adding boxwoods was/is to hide the lawn or at least take attention away from it. Given our location in the foothills of Northern California, our water usage is committed to our garden, leaving the grass to fend for itself. We've considered mulch and stone but don't think it's going to look good. We've considered fake grass but I don't believe it will last long. Our other challenge with ground cover is our ability to remove leaves from the hollies and the laurel.
gustaviatex
9 years ago
Check out the work of this Pro http://www.houzz.com/pro/deboracarl/debora-carl-landscape-design for ideas for low-water landscaping. I love her work but I live in Southeast Texas and we get over 50" of rain a year; often a lot over a short period.
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
9 years ago
There are so many plants that thrive in arid conditions and IMO box wood to look good requires lots of water . Why not a great cactus and succulent space with sand and gravel to hold onto the water that they need
Melynda
9 years ago
Succulents could be very nice, but if you want a hedge look why not use rosemary? I'm pretty new to the area, so I don't know what varieties work best or how long it takes to get the gorgeous hedges I see, but it's a great visual compromise between formal edging and tough drought resistant CA standards.