Part of a series: Living the Good Life with Chris Olsen
If you walk outside and stand still, your face into the wind, you’ll know it’s coming; spring, I mean. We’ve had a New England-worthy winter, but better days are on the horizon. Avid gardeners are already curling up with a good seed catalog, discovering new plants and reveling in the color-drenched photos. What better time to think about, well, better times? Let’s go to last year’s garden and poke around.
The Greeks and Romans were right; a pergola always makes pathways more inviting. If you have a somewhat rectangular space and need a path, don’t just stop at flagstones or brick. Look up. Pergolas over walkways mean you can use vines and trailing specimens, and that you don’t block out the sun with anything heavy. Pergolas celebrate the seasons and provide vertical interest. Think about the pavers you use and remember to plant something between them for a cooling effect. Mondo grass is used here between the pavers, but that scrumptious green in the foreground? Moss, which is a great idea for shady areas that have just a bit of foot traffic. Zero maintenance, and almost neon in color after a rain….