A couple years ago when I created a walking path through my garden, I put down black plastic and covered it with wood chips. The chips are now breaking down and forming a compost that is spouting weeds and plants in the path.  If I remove the growth and replenish the wood chips, I’m afraid the same thing will keep happening. Grass is not an option due to the confined area.  Do you have any other suggestions for a natural path?

In our opinion, a plastic weed barrier should not be used under an organic mulch. This is especially true if a shredded wood mulch is used, as these mulches tend to break down fairly quickly.

This generally does not pose a problem when used as a mulch around trees and shrubs. In fact, the decomposition of the shredded bark aids in improving the soil. The mulch itself is an effective weed barrier if it is replenished regularly and maintained at a depth of 3 to 4 inches.

The plastic weed barriers are useful in preventing weeds under inorganic mulches such as pea gravel or crushed stone. Perhaps these could be considered for your pathway. Another option to consider would be decorative stepping stones.

The Clematis montana ‘Grandiflora’, I planted this spring is healthy, but one stem grew to 6 to 7 feet while a couple others at the base are only a foot long. To encourage denser growth, should I have been pinching it back throughout the summer? To get thicker growth next year what should I do now (if anything) and next spring?

Probably the most frequently asked question about clematis concerns pruning. Clematis are generally divided into three groups for pruning purposes. Your Clematis montana falls into Group A, which includes spring-flowering varieties whose flower buds were produced during the previous season. Therefore, any growth that is removed between late autumn and early spring will cause that much flower loss for the coming season. So, any pruning that you want to do to control the plant should be done in early summer. I wouldn’t be too concerned about encouraging dense growth, however, since Clematis montana is an extremely vigorous grower.

For your information, Group B varieties also bloom on the previous year’s growth. The recommended time to prune is February or March to remove weak and dead stems. The remaining stems are cut back to just above a pair of good green buds.

Finally, Group C consists of these Clematis that bloom only on new growth. Pruning these varieties involves cutting back all of the previous season’s growth to a pair of good buds usually about 10 to 12 inches above the ground. This should be done in February or March.

I have a 3 foot x 10 foot grassy area in hot sun all day.  I want to replace the grass with a low groundcover that can handle occasional, light foot traffic.  Due to the sun exposure, it would be nice if it were drought tolerant also. Can you suggest a few?

Before we mention the types of plants to be used, let’s first discuss the ground preparation. Since this planting will be subjected to heat and drought stress, as well as some compaction due to light foot traffic, the soil should be dug at least to a depth of a full spade (a minimum of 8 inches) and turned to break up any large clumps. Spread a 2 to 3 inch layer of sphagnum peat over the area and continue turning the soil until the peat is thoroughly mixed and the soil is fine and crumbly.

If foot traffic occurs in a few designated places, you might try placing decorative stepping stones there to absorb most of the compaction. You may allow the groundcover to grow around and over most of the stones if desired.

Groundcovers to select from include: bearberry, sedum (low types), thyme (several varieties), and yarrow (tomentosa).