We ordered another ChipDrop. Because we want soft, luxurious, weed-free paths.
And this time, we got smarter.
The time before last, we shoveled chips into the wheelbarrow, wheeled them out to the paths, dumped them, and repeated the process about… oh, 5,000 times. It worked. But it wasn’t great. Or fast. Or good for the lower back. Last time, we got smarter, and used the tractor to dump in the outside paths.
This time: we found the groove.
The Setup
- Scoop chips into the tractor bucket
- Dump chips into the trailer hitched to the riding mower
- Drive that little mower right into the garden paths
- Dump, spread, and repeat
Turns out, the mower and the trailer are just the width of the paths, like it was meant to be. Dean drives and spills, I rake, we swap out when one of us needs a snack or a stretch. The garden gets mulched, the paths look sharp, and nobody cries from exhaustion.
The Chips Themselves
This load is a pretty nice one: relatively small, well-shredded bits, not too twiggy, and composed of our old friend Doug Fir. Smells like Christmas. Smells like progress. Sounds and feels like satisfaction underfoot. It’s a weird joy, walking down a soft, bouncy wood-chipped path that didn’t exist a few weeks ago.
And the weeds are going to have to try a lot harder this year.
What’s Next
- Finish mulching the main garden paths
- Mulch the perimeter, because it’s getting shaggy
- Keep yelling encouraging things at the peas
- Celebrate this brief, beautiful moment where the garden looks tidy
Efficiency feels good. So do clean paths. And honestly, that little mower and trailer might be the MVPs of the week.
Leave a comment