I heard a story of a group of people (cant remember what they call themselves, if you know, let me know!) They build their common meeting place in such a way that it needs to be rebuilt every 20 years or so. An outsider once asked why they don't learn better building techniques and they responded that they do know those other building practices, but the way they do it is not only tradition but it also allows every single generation to have a hand in creating the community building their children will grow up visiting and one day rebuild themselves. I think its really beautiful to trust our future selves and future generations to create, and not feel we must do everything for them and make it last forever. Each generation deserves a chance to be a part of building their own lives Edit: Sierra Mewuk Community
I dont know the name, but oh my goodness what a gorgeous way of literally building community and making memories and making it about the future gerations too.
@@junoantaresofficial yep! too bad it was seen as barbaric by the genocidal freaks who threw their own shit into the streets and didn't know women were people.
When I use logs as borders for my raised beds, everyone was like oh well those are gonna rot out in a few years. I hope so. That’s what wood does right?
That’s actually a good thing that it breaks down. Using mulch and logs help a lot because they retain water and release it back to the plants. The soil underneath won’t get dry and turn to dust.
My grandpa's wooden raised beds have been rotting and we've had to put new nails in but it's still holding up after 12 years of planting in them without paint or treatment.
@@mackaylacook148very true. I used 2 bys to build the border around my garden and in the days after a rain they're holding so much water that you can feel the moisture in the air increasing next to them in the next hot day.
I love that it isn’t some permanent concrete monstrosity 😂 it means you can try something else in a few years! Or throw some ground cover around the slices, it’ll look cool when it partially covers it!
If you live in a space with lots of nature (such as me) it's always a possibility that you will get termites & carpenter ants, but doesn't mean you're not going to adapt to your surroundings. You do what you can.
@@warpony123 "pretty much not toxic" ...unless you do any kind of fruit or leafy greens gardening next to it as it bioaccumulates in leaves and fruits and then bioaccumulates in human bones.
Yeah, why ever be proud of something lasting so short? A mud hut that needs rebuilding every year is a massive waste of human effort. Meanwhile my 150 year old brick house looks like the day it was built, upkeep was done but it's the same brick and mortar
@@kapytanhookThe point is there’s beauty in things returning to nature..Nice that enjoy your home! But many like rebuilding things, you get to change it up each time :] And some communities are built around this making certain buildings in a way they’re gonna need redone, it makes it so the next generation can build it themselves too and the next. Each generation getting a say on the building they grew up around redecorating it for their own kids to grow up with and rebuild..it creates a community and bonds everyone
@@kapytanhooksounds like cope to me since they are now burning the wood to make it last longer. If this had been done both sides prior to laying, it would last ten times longer
Did shou sugi ban method to the wood for my raised beds. After brushing off the ash I applied tung seed oil (Hope's brand). They turned out beautifully and are holding up. Love the pathway you made.
Yakisugi Ban which actually means burnt cedar is the correct translation. If you said shou sugi nobody in Japan would know what you’re talking about. I asked a Japanese timber framer as I timber frame and my home timber frame is burnt in the yakisugi fashion.
And then you have to redo the pathway. And if her goal was to nourish the soil, there’s a thing called fertilizer and it doesn’t take three years to even start decomposing, or you can use natural compost
I love this!! I do a lot of arborist chip pathways and people are always like “but it will rot!” And I’m like yeah that’s the point it will build up the soil and I’ll just add more chips to it 😂
I grew up in a semi-arrid steppe region on a small farm. Most of the soil is hard clay that repels water. And that water is scarce; my hometown gets 8' of rain a year. My dad had a standing deal with local arborists that they could dump any non-resinous chips at our place. They liked that because it saved them on dumping fees. Often my family would show up to our property to be greeted with up to 8 dump piles. For years my family used those chips to keep down dust, hold moisture, and build up topsoil. Decades later the trees are massive and the grass is green.
nothing is supposed to last forever, if it does its unnatural.This is the way of nature, we all come from and return to the earth... that is what makes nature beautiful, the fact its always growing, changing, dying and being reborn.
Nothing lasts forever, but some things last a lot longer than others, and life is a lot easier when you build things to last. I get enough manual labor at work, I don't need to invent problems for myself at home.
No but it should last 1000 years . I cant not have British or German mindset. If you build something its for all your decendants to maintain and use forever. Im allway appalled by the impermanence of things in America. Everything is built to last 50 years and be replaced.
@@avancalledrupert5130 I agree with you on that. I dont like the idea of having to constantly replace things. Growing up my grandparents worked hard for everything we had and taught us the value and importance of doing a job well and properly. Maintaining and taking care of it so that it does last. I have some clothes and shoes that are 20+yrs old just bc of that mindset. I meant more the cycle of nature, how everything returns to the earth eventually. Some things change into something else entirely but I was commenting more on how what makes nature beautiful is that nothing lasts forever. So you learn to appreciate things for their rarity and beauty, no matter how long or short that is. It was more a comment on appreciating what you have while its there bc it wont always be, so love and respect it all while you can.
@@heehoopeanut420 Apparently not, that's the point of the video. When the day comes, you char the wood in the vain hope of keeping it from rotting more and decide you're gonna keep walking on rotting wood instead of making something decent to begin with. Like local stones are natural too, and they'd never need composting, yall are wild. Heaven forbid you put the things that feed the earth where you want the earth fed and not where you want to walk.
@@theBestElliephantYou are correct. Local stone is a great natural resource that one could use that would last for a long time instead of wood. This was also my first thought. Also she is doing the burning technique wrong. She should have done it before placing the wood because the bottom is still susceptible to root. Also if I remember correctly it needs to be a bit more charred for proper treatment.
I love it. Sooo pretty 🤩 especially sho sugi ban, it shows all the tiny cracks in the wood. Looks like it could be in some fantasy fictional cottage core novel
I can see this working well where you are. Also maybe Wyoming and other places out west. Where I am, tho, it would rot so fast it wouldn't have been worth the time or labor to install it. No problem with things rotting but like, obviously the purpose was to have a path, lol. Maybe that's why you got negative feedback - people don't realize how much the soil and climate can change things.
@@LoveAgain62 my sister went to school in Wyoming and when she'd come home to Missouri over the summer she'd comment on the cascade of green just washing out of everywhere - Missouri has TONS of water
That makes a lot of sense! My thoughts were how incredibly slippery such a path would be: all the algae and moss that grows on these within the year here would make such a thing a real dangerous path...
Yup. It lasts in South Nevada too. Mine has been laid for almost 8 years with no maintenance, but it still looks great. It’s the sun and little moisture (only rains here one month in spring and one in fall) that’s slowing decay/decomposition.
Right! Places where it's wet most of the year like the PNW, it would be a major slipping hazard because of how quickly it would begin rotting. But this person obviously lives in a drier climate and it's obviously not a problem.
Thanks for the follow up. It’s great to see it’s lasting well. Certainly long enough for you to make the next plan and then wait because it’s not yet needed. Fantastic
Did you read the words on the screen? She was saying she doesnt mind that it will eventually rot. She did seal the top to help it last a little longer, but the point is not to make it last as long as possible, but just a little bit longer.
@@junoantaresofficialyup, watched the video too. The method she is talking about is to be done on both sides of the wood. It's not a one-side only tactic. If going to claim a method, then do it by the method.
@nikkisigmon8090 she was not trying to do the full method. She said she just wanted to extend the life of the current path, to make it last a little longer before she needs to redo the path. Why are you so stuck on the "she must do by the book on this method. She must do it the most effective way. She must not do it another way or it is invalid no matter what her reasons are." She just wanted to seal the top to make it last a LITTLE BIT longer, not the maximum possible, just a delay on when she needed to replace it. A LITTLE BIT LONGER. Not a lot a bit longer. On just this current iteration of this project. She knows this is not a long term solution to the issue she is facing. I know this message is sassy and will probably be read in a rude tone, I'm sorry for that but I'm a little tired of people not understanding that people can do a half ass job and still be happy with the outcome and other people don't need to act like she failed or whatever. Anything worth doing is worth doing half assed. A job is better done half assed than not done at all when a person doesn't have the time or energy or tools to do it the best way. So do it half assed so you have more time to be prepared to do it better later. I hope that makes more sense and gets my point across. She knew the name of the method, which means she's done enough research to know she did half of what it should be and made the conscious choice to only do the tops, which she said in the video. "Hey, I'm doing this thing, it's based on this method, but I'm doing it differently to suit the intentions I have for the project I am working on. I just need a little more time before I change how I do the project when I'm ready to redo the whole thing again.." "You're doing it wrong!" "She literally just aknowledged that what she is doing is not correct according to the full method." "So what, you're wrong and it's wrong and she is all wrong because I say so. She has to do it the exactly perfectly the right way because that's the only way that will make it so I'm happy as a viewer."
@@junoantaresofficial you said it yourself: Did you read the words on the screen? "This year I'm treating the path with the Japanese shou sugi ban method of charring the wood" she never said anything about doing something **based** on the method. I'm not stuck on a problem- I see it for what it is. I see that she is trying to extend the life of the path- that is obvious. But you sure seem to be stuck on that claiming method includes doing it halfway 🙃
wow, I just did this in my garden before watching this video. I used a range of pieces from large to small and it looks amazing. Love to see this walkway in your garden as well. 💗
The point of a path is to keep your feet from getting muddy or to dirty when walking down the path. What you did 100% achieves that effect and everything else just comes down to taste. I think your path looks amazing and creative. Keep up the good work
Just put 20 bags of chipped bark down. It will rot and gives its nutrients to my plants. It undoubtedly contains fungi spores so mushrooms will appear. The birds are pecking at the bark and eating lots of small flies in the bark. It smells glorious. It is a renewable product.
Charring the wood on top wont help since its the the bottom that sits in the soil moisture. Rotting is not ideal if you're interested in preserving your work. But if you don't care, nobody else should.
9 out of every 10 people who left comments saying "it will just rot" just jealous lazy people with little passion to make things beautiful. Cheers for your hard work. Looks beautiful
It’s not that pathways returning to soil are bad; it’s the rotting and mouldy wood spreading disease-causing spores that is problematic. Great idea charring to get rid of organic contents that can lead to mould.
This is so pretty! I love how its biodegradable too! I think if anything people didnt want all that hard work to go to waste and have to be redone so soon. Charring was a nice touch and makes the wood look stained. Nice job 👏
I build a lot of things on my land like this. Yard furniture and terracing from fallen trees, untreated. It won’t last. I’m ok with that. Nothing is forever.
“I’m not but I still don’t wanna” @40:40 is one of my fav lines in the show. It’s just such a good followup. I remember cracking the fuck up the first time I rewatched the show as an adult.
It’s a very pretty path, however it becomes a bad thing when returning materials to the earth it actively makes it difficult to walk on. I can only imagine the amount of trips, stubbed toes, and splinters you would accumulate actually using this path regularly.
I think it looks very even and flat? 🤔 Maybe not enough for wheelchair use, but certainly to walk on. And the wood wouldn't get as blisteringly hot to walk on as stone or concrete.
@@QueenMegaeraso you can’t see the very many spots where the wood sticks out more than half an inch above the gravel? you should read the OSHA guidelines for tripping hazards.
@@johnnyirons69420 Half an inch doesn't sound much to me. That's like a normal threshold. I grew up with a stone path, and the grass between the stones would grow to at least an inch or two and there were natural uneven surfaces on the stones and everyone was fine (except on hot days when you would walk in the grass because the stones were like walking on stoves). I know roughly what OSHA is but since I'm not from the US I don't know the details. It can't apply to a path in your own garden, right? I thought it was a workplace thing, and I suppose it could apply to a driveway if it's someone's job to get to your door, but a garden path is just a way to make sure places where you'd like to be able to walk don't grow over as fast. It doesn't have to be perfect. 🤷
@@QueenMegaeraSafety doesn’t end at work, do you still need to use safety glasses at home when working with tools or does the danger just disappear? “I’m not knowledgeable on safety standards but I think it’s fine” isn’t a very strong argument. I just don’t understand going out of your way to create a path for looks instead of function, better alternatives exist.
@@johnnyirons69420 I didn't say I was ignorant of safety standards, I said I was ignorant of American safety standards since I don't live there. And I just mean that a home only has to be safe enough for the people who live there, whereas a workplace needs to be safe enough for anyone who might conceivably have access to it. If you're a person without disabilities who throws a glance at what you're walking on, a slightly rough surface like this is no problem. On the other hand, I broke my hand on my kitchen chair a couple of years back because I moved too fast and wasn't looking. No such thing as a complete guarantee against accidents. Especially if you're as clumsy as me. 😅
It’s really cool looking. My only concern would be it becoming a tripping hazard at some point but if you keep an eye on it I imagine you could keep those issues to a minimum by re-leveling them over time when needed or replacing pieces that have rotted to the point where they are breaking apart.
So mamy new build contractors just want to put down 45 foot by 45 foot slabs of concrete and tell clients - itll last 50 years! Thing is, we dont want to seal off the earth from us from 50 years. We want it to breath with us.
Beautiful way to return nutrients back to the soil and keep things natural. Theres so much toxic junk leaking into our soil, poisoning us and everything else in return. This is refreshing to see. Thank you for sharing this art!
Looks great! As for rotting, here in Wyoming (11 inches of precip. annually) I put down pine bark nuggets around the vegetable beds 3 years ago and they're not even close to breaking down. I may try this.
When you have to replace them, char all sides of each wafer. Then brush them down with a wire brush then seal them with either oil, polyurethane or another appropriate sealer. They’ll look amazing and last much longer!
I really like mulch paths for the same reason. It serves a purpose of adding something to the environment. Its not just for me. Plus i can get free mulch. A bit of work for something completely free just makes sense and is a net positive.
Should have covered it in clear resin to completely miss the point, looks lovely I'm currently debating my path materials this has made me think thank you, stay safe and keep having fun.
There are a lot of natural things you can seal that with too, to further protect it. Pitch for example, was used on wooden ships during the Age of Sail to help protect the wood against the elements. Basically makes the wood waterproof. The shou sugi ban method also uses a natural sealant (such as pitch) after charring, but apparently the Japanese more commonly used seed oils for this purpose. I think pitch would work fine too though. Whatever is cheapest/easiest to source on your own.
My entire garden is built from materials that will rot and return to the earth, it's the best part. I love watching the new grow from the old the cycles of life are beautiful. Keep doing you! If it brings you joy then that's all that matters!!! Thank you for sharing! Godspeed & God Bless🦄🦄🦄🌠🌱🌎😇🌈🌅🦄🦋🌳⚡️
I'm going to go on a limb and say most people pointed out the rot because most other materials used for a path don't rot away for decades. People usually don't want to redo something again, but it's what makes you happy. I like the idea and would love more people to entertain more out of the box ideas. Why some many people don't do gardens or pay to have them worked on because you have to redo it every year.
I live in the desert. Wood does not break down quickly here because we get so little precipitation. This is actually a wonderful idea in certain areas and climates. I really like this idea and its look. And guess what I have... a whole huge pile of discard logs! 😊
It’s a matter of time, efficiency and cost. Yeah it’s beautiful that it rots and blah blah. But you’re trying to “preserve it for longer” by buying a flamethrower (wasn’t cheap). Could’ve bought flat rocks…
It looks nice because it's natural! Linseed oil could help extend it a little more, and it's totally natural. It has to be applied annually and that seems okay. There are several brands and they average about $40 gallon. (USA price) Best wishes for your gardens and your pathway!
My grandfather had a pathway like this going into his garden. Every few years he would make me and my cousin go out and paint it with used motor oil before using a weed torch on it. The path was still walkable when my grandfather passed a couple years ago and I think it was put in some 20 odd years ago and I want to say a couple of the outer pieces were replaced somewhere along the way.
YOU DID A BEAUTIFUL JOB I agree totally on your reasoning and motivation ! WOW I would love to do this too my garden entrance. I live In the forest 🌲 plenty of trees. You Inspired Me ❤Thank you I’ll remember you 😊
Personally? I would probably enjoy the fact I need to redo it every so often. Like once it begins to really break down, that’s my cue that now I have another project to attend to. After all, that’s why we do it right? Cause we like to?
Very nice i would not have thought of that and like u said if you know it will turn into dirt who cares. I put wood chips down on my garden paths and thats a ton of work to move woodchips from the front of my yard to the back acre, one wheelbarrow at a time. I never regret it!❤
Placing them top of tree down will slow the rot. Take a wood round and drop a little water on both ends, one end will absorb water faster than the other. The less absorbent side goes down.
Exactly we should be utilizing natural processes to live in harmony with Earth rather than destroying our own environment to produce things that will outlive us. Certainly some things should be "built to last" but we need to work on the full circle cycle of items from production all the way to recycling and reuse for that to even make sense.. and when there are better choices to be made, like using materials that can easily be taken care of by natural processes from beginning to end, we should do that. I agree and I like your path :)
It will depend on the type of wood & the thickness of the log slabs. We got a chip drop with logs in it 3 years ago, some of the logs were a red coniferous wood & they are holding up really well to the very moist areas of my garden while some of the softer wood logs are 50% or more broken down already.
Everyone wants the most efficient, most perfect method for everything. If you're willing to put in the maintenance of something you love, it's worth doing. Nothing lasts forever.
It’s yours, and you made it with your own hands and knowledge. “Stay interested in your career, however humble. It is a true possession in the changing fortunes of time” -Max Ehrman
There are naturally rot-resistant woods one could use if they're really so worried about deterioration. Cedar is a great example. By the time this pathway needs to be replaced, it'll probably be in pretty good shape to put in a garden bed or at least toss in the compost pile to finish biodegrading!
I had those as a walkway for 10 years. However, they become VERY slippery when wet. When they put me on my arse, while carrying my toddler (Twisted hell out my back to fall on my arse instead of her!), I had enough. It was 3rd fall, countless slips, so I removed it and used stepping stones instead. It is SO pretty tho.
You can treat the wood with used motor oil and extend its life by decades. We got posts my grandfather put down over 60 years ago still holding fine, im pretty sure he submerged them for a month in oil first, which is excessive (just like gpa). I have 2x6 decking on my utility trailer that i did and treated and its been exposed to the elements for 10 years and hasn't aged a day. Shit just works, just saying.
The earth might claim them a little faster, but that should last a long time. Old factories had wood block floors. The building I work in is over 100 years old, most of it is concrete, but there is some wood left, where the forklifts don't normally drive.
Soak them in diesel, then once dry in a month do the fire, mine have lasted about 8yrs and just pull out the really bad ones and replace with leftovers. The leftovers have never been replaced, so the longer they dry after soaking and drying the more durable they become😊
It looks so whimsical! It's totally fine if it rots, impermanence isn't a bad thing. I do have one concern, how is it in the rain? I had wooden stairs that would get super slippery, but this was in the PNW around Seattle. I've been on wooden bridges that weren't slippery at all when wet. I'm not really sure what's responsible for the difference!
I am using fallen branches as trellises for my squash, they wont last as long and are more difficult to work with but it cost nothing and kept dead wood on the land instead of being cleared out (they fell in parks, in the road, and on the golf course) so otherwise it was just gunna end up in a land fill
There is an interview by Kirsten Dirksen of a man who builds everything he makes out of things that don’t last because according to him, he wants to rebuild something different later. That’s an interesting point of view. Enjoying the creative aspect has value.
My greenhouse needs rebuilding every 3 years. The frame is made of Hazel - look up "Hazel bender" to see the general idea. I've used the same piece of polytunnel plastic for 6+ years so far and have just rebuilt the frame again. It costs me a little bit of time harvesting the Hazel and doing the work, and a little bit of string. At the end I get a small amount of seasoned firewood from it which I use to cook some meals. I could build a more permanent structure, but I'd need to put more money in and design it carefully. Maybe some day I will - I have a design in mind. Originally I wanted a glass greenhouse, but when I was standing there looking at the area one day I got blown off my feet by a gust of wind and so decided glass probably wasnt the best idea after all.
In prehistoric times, our ancestors were enthralled with the idea that structures and artwork could last into the future by noticing the longevity of stone and artwork protected inside caves or made from stone
I'm in the process of rewilding the property I bought several years ago, so I do appreciate things experiencing their intended natural cycles. I wouldn't do this where I live, though, as it is extremely humid year-round. It wouldn't just be an issue of rotting, it'd be an issue specifically of attracting more termites than usual to the house, as well as specific breeds of hornets and other very cranky insects that like to set up shop in chunks of decaying wood. I do envy climates where things like this walkway would be feasible.
I did this. I didn't char it or anything. It lasted two or three years. I had bigger slabs like stepping "stones." It was free, easy, looked nice for a while. I took the broken pieces out this year and replaced them with wood chips, which will also decompose... But these were also free, nontoxic, readily available, took me like ten minutes to put down and I should get a couple years out of it until I need to do something else.
Is "thuja" something you know? They got these flat, non-prickly "needles" that shed and they last incredibly long and make great mulch. They also smell very close to a pine, very nice. :D
What a beautiful place! I wish I could see a yard my dad did like that on a friend’s place in San Francisco, it was nothing but a hill, they did a beautiful job for parties and events the owner used to have all the time. I saw it when they first finished and it was all lit up with little lights going down the pathway that turned on at dusk. That was decades ago. Wonder how it looks now. I know the house was in several commercials over the years.
Everything returns to the earth ❤sometimes we forget that. It’s okay, your path is still beautiful and a reminder that we all all connected to this earth and react to the passing of time in our own way ✌️ drink some water!
Old castles used to use timber end grain cobbles around entryways and they used them near monasteries. Those have lasted hundreds of years so provided it isn’t too damp underneath, your path will probably outlast you.
Lovely. Where I live it would get slick and mossy so I won’t be trying it. I do wood chip pathways through our woods. It lasts a surprisingly long time if the path is getting use.
I heard a story of a group of people (cant remember what they call themselves, if you know, let me know!) They build their common meeting place in such a way that it needs to be rebuilt every 20 years or so. An outsider once asked why they don't learn better building techniques and they responded that they do know those other building practices, but the way they do it is not only tradition but it also allows every single generation to have a hand in creating the community building their children will grow up visiting and one day rebuild themselves.
I think its really beautiful to trust our future selves and future generations to create, and not feel we must do everything for them and make it last forever. Each generation deserves a chance to be a part of building their own lives
Edit: Sierra Mewuk Community
I dont know the name, but oh my goodness what a gorgeous way of literally building community and making memories and making it about the future gerations too.
@@junoantaresofficial yep! too bad it was seen as barbaric by the genocidal freaks who threw their own shit into the streets and didn't know women were people.
I'm commenting on this in the hopes that someone will respond and let us know what community that is!
i love this
I might go dig through my old annotations later today and try to find us the name of the community
When I use logs as borders for my raised beds, everyone was like oh well those are gonna rot out in a few years. I hope so. That’s what wood does right?
Plus the wood draws and hold so much moisture it means less maintenance and watering for you, especially in droughts
That’s actually a good thing that it breaks down. Using mulch and logs help a lot because they retain water and release it back to the plants. The soil underneath won’t get dry and turn to dust.
My grandpa's wooden raised beds have been rotting and we've had to put new nails in but it's still holding up after 12 years of planting in them without paint or treatment.
@@mackaylacook148very true. I used 2 bys to build the border around my garden and in the days after a rain they're holding so much water that you can feel the moisture in the air increasing next to them in the next hot day.
@@mackaylacook148and beneficial insects come to breed and dwell under the wood too
I love that it isn’t some permanent concrete monstrosity 😂 it means you can try something else in a few years! Or throw some ground cover around the slices, it’ll look cool when it partially covers it!
Thank you! Perfect idea
*Termites and carpenter ants have entered the chat*
He could put a borate preservative on the wood and it would have lasted 4-5 years. It’s pretty much not toxic
If you live in a space with lots of nature (such as me) it's always a possibility that you will get termites & carpenter ants, but doesn't mean you're not going to adapt to your surroundings. You do what you can.
@@warpony123 "pretty much not toxic"
...unless you do any kind of fruit or leafy greens gardening next to it as it bioaccumulates in leaves and fruits and then bioaccumulates in human bones.
My grandfather build a slice driveway at his house. He's since past and his wife recently sold the house, but that driveway is still there.
Yeah, why ever be proud of something lasting so short? A mud hut that needs rebuilding every year is a massive waste of human effort.
Meanwhile my 150 year old brick house looks like the day it was built, upkeep was done but it's the same brick and mortar
@@kapytanhook I think you missed the point they were making
@@Skinnybalto in the video it was clear he didn't mind that his work was undone in a few years. That is my point
@@kapytanhookThe point is there’s beauty in things returning to nature..Nice that enjoy your home! But many like rebuilding things, you get to change it up each time :] And some communities are built around this making certain buildings in a way they’re gonna need redone, it makes it so the next generation can build it themselves too and the next. Each generation getting a say on the building they grew up around redecorating it for their own kids to grow up with and rebuild..it creates a community and bonds everyone
@@kapytanhooksounds like cope to me since they are now burning the wood to make it last longer. If this had been done both sides prior to laying, it would last ten times longer
Did shou sugi ban method to the wood for my raised beds. After brushing off the ash I applied tung seed oil (Hope's brand). They turned out beautifully and are holding up. Love the pathway you made.
Yakisugi Ban which actually means burnt cedar is the correct translation. If you said shou sugi nobody in Japan would know what you’re talking about. I asked a Japanese timber framer as I timber frame and my home timber frame is burnt in the yakisugi fashion.
Bet it was the oil that did most of the work. Charring wood is overused.
"it's just going to rot" if by rot you mean break down and nourish the soil, then yes ❤
Like cement doesn't "rot", Crack, become uneven, crumble, and become an absolute pain to remove and redo
Like cement doesn't "rot", Crack, become uneven, crumble, and become an absolute pain to remove and redo
Get a job hippie
And then you have to redo the pathway. And if her goal was to nourish the soil, there’s a thing called fertilizer and it doesn’t take three years to even start decomposing, or you can use natural compost
@@Hydrated-307nothing inherently wrong with redoing something multiple times.
I love this!! I do a lot of arborist chip pathways and people are always like “but it will rot!” And I’m like yeah that’s the point it will build up the soil and I’ll just add more chips to it 😂
😂❤
I grew up in a semi-arrid steppe region on a small farm. Most of the soil is hard clay that repels water. And that water is scarce; my hometown gets 8' of rain a year.
My dad had a standing deal with local arborists that they could dump any non-resinous chips at our place. They liked that because it saved them on dumping fees. Often my family would show up to our property to be greeted with up to 8 dump piles.
For years my family used those chips to keep down dust, hold moisture, and build up topsoil. Decades later the trees are massive and the grass is green.
nothing is supposed to last forever, if it does its unnatural.This is the way of nature, we all come from and return to the earth... that is what makes nature beautiful, the fact its always growing, changing, dying and being reborn.
Rocks last forever
@@davidmoye2354 they change over time as well, time/heat/pressure. They don't stay exactly the same either. Always changing.
Nothing lasts forever, but some things last a lot longer than others, and life is a lot easier when you build things to last. I get enough manual labor at work, I don't need to invent problems for myself at home.
No but it should last 1000 years . I cant not have British or German mindset. If you build something its for all your decendants to maintain and use forever.
Im allway appalled by the impermanence of things in America. Everything is built to last 50 years and be replaced.
@@avancalledrupert5130 I agree with you on that. I dont like the idea of having to constantly replace things. Growing up my grandparents worked hard for everything we had and taught us the value and importance of doing a job well and properly. Maintaining and taking care of it so that it does last. I have some clothes and shoes that are 20+yrs old just bc of that mindset. I meant more the cycle of nature, how everything returns to the earth eventually. Some things change into something else entirely but I was commenting more on how what makes nature beautiful is that nothing lasts forever. So you learn to appreciate things for their rarity and beauty, no matter how long or short that is. It was more a comment on appreciating what you have while its there bc it wont always be, so love and respect it all while you can.
It’s charming and full of character. Great example of repurposing wood. Thanks for the inspiration 💚🌱
This! 🙌
Since when was it a bad thing to use items that are good for the earth that feeds us ❤
It's not, just use them somewhere where you don't have to walk on the rotting wood.
@theBestElliephant and when that day comes, you compost the scraps and put in a fresh path. crazy idea.
@@heehoopeanut420 Apparently not, that's the point of the video. When the day comes, you char the wood in the vain hope of keeping it from rotting more and decide you're gonna keep walking on rotting wood instead of making something decent to begin with.
Like local stones are natural too, and they'd never need composting, yall are wild. Heaven forbid you put the things that feed the earth where you want the earth fed and not where you want to walk.
@@theBestElliephantYou are correct. Local stone is a great natural resource that one could use that would last for a long time instead of wood. This was also my first thought. Also she is doing the burning technique wrong. She should have done it before placing the wood because the bottom is still susceptible to root. Also if I remember correctly it needs to be a bit more charred for proper treatment.
@@HUZZAH-4Life It's funny how people assume you're attacking their core beliefs and not their bad ideas sometimes.
I love it. Sooo pretty 🤩 especially sho sugi ban, it shows all the tiny cracks in the wood. Looks like it could be in some fantasy fictional cottage core novel
It's beautiful!! We treat the earth with kindness, I fully believe we will get that in return. That extends to all things
I can see this working well where you are. Also maybe Wyoming and other places out west. Where I am, tho, it would rot so fast it wouldn't have been worth the time or labor to install it. No problem with things rotting but like, obviously the purpose was to have a path, lol. Maybe that's why you got negative feedback - people don't realize how much the soil and climate can change things.
Yes, I'm in Wyoming and the dryness preserves wood longer.
@@LoveAgain62 my sister went to school in Wyoming and when she'd come home to Missouri over the summer she'd comment on the cascade of green just washing out of everywhere - Missouri has TONS of water
That makes a lot of sense! My thoughts were how incredibly slippery such a path would be: all the algae and moss that grows on these within the year here would make such a thing a real dangerous path...
Yup. It lasts in South Nevada too. Mine has been laid for almost 8 years with no maintenance, but it still looks great. It’s the sun and little moisture (only rains here one month in spring and one in fall) that’s slowing decay/decomposition.
Right! Places where it's wet most of the year like the PNW, it would be a major slipping hazard because of how quickly it would begin rotting. But this person obviously lives in a drier climate and it's obviously not a problem.
Lifes a dance. You learn as you go. Looks beautiful!
Thanks for the follow up. It’s great to see it’s lasting well. Certainly long enough for you to make the next plan and then wait because it’s not yet needed. Fantastic
I think it's a great idea! And I've seen homesteaders treat their wood siding that way-5 years later the siding still is holding up well.
Next time, char both sides of the slabs. Better seal, maybe slow down moisture uptake and wood decay?
Did you read the words on the screen? She was saying she doesnt mind that it will eventually rot. She did seal the top to help it last a little longer, but the point is not to make it last as long as possible, but just a little bit longer.
@@junoantaresofficialyup, watched the video too. The method she is talking about is to be done on both sides of the wood. It's not a one-side only tactic. If going to claim a method, then do it by the method.
@nikkisigmon8090 she was not trying to do the full method. She said she just wanted to extend the life of the current path, to make it last a little longer before she needs to redo the path. Why are you so stuck on the "she must do by the book on this method. She must do it the most effective way. She must not do it another way or it is invalid no matter what her reasons are." She just wanted to seal the top to make it last a LITTLE BIT longer, not the maximum possible, just a delay on when she needed to replace it. A LITTLE BIT LONGER. Not a lot a bit longer. On just this current iteration of this project. She knows this is not a long term solution to the issue she is facing. I know this message is sassy and will probably be read in a rude tone, I'm sorry for that but I'm a little tired of people not understanding that people can do a half ass job and still be happy with the outcome and other people don't need to act like she failed or whatever. Anything worth doing is worth doing half assed. A job is better done half assed than not done at all when a person doesn't have the time or energy or tools to do it the best way. So do it half assed so you have more time to be prepared to do it better later. I hope that makes more sense and gets my point across. She knew the name of the method, which means she's done enough research to know she did half of what it should be and made the conscious choice to only do the tops, which she said in the video.
"Hey, I'm doing this thing, it's based on this method, but I'm doing it differently to suit the intentions I have for the project I am working on. I just need a little more time before I change how I do the project when I'm ready to redo the whole thing again.."
"You're doing it wrong!"
"She literally just aknowledged that what she is doing is not correct according to the full method."
"So what, you're wrong and it's wrong and she is all wrong because I say so. She has to do it the exactly perfectly the right way because that's the only way that will make it so I'm happy as a viewer."
@@junoantaresofficial you said it yourself: Did you read the words on the screen?
"This year I'm treating the path with the Japanese shou sugi ban method of charring the wood" she never said anything about doing something **based** on the method.
I'm not stuck on a problem- I see it for what it is. I see that she is trying to extend the life of the path- that is obvious. But you sure seem to be stuck on that claiming method includes doing it halfway 🙃
@@nikkisigmon8090I am also pretty sure she is not charring it enough either.
wow, I just did this in my garden before watching this video. I used a range of pieces from large to small and it looks amazing. Love to see this walkway in your garden as well. 💗
The point of a path is to keep your feet from getting muddy or to dirty when walking down the path. What you did 100% achieves that effect and everything else just comes down to taste. I think your path looks amazing and creative. Keep up the good work
Yes! Thank you!
Just put 20 bags of chipped bark down. It will rot and gives its nutrients to my plants. It undoubtedly contains fungi spores so mushrooms will appear. The birds are pecking at the bark and eating lots of small flies in the bark. It smells glorious. It is a renewable product.
Charring the wood on top wont help since its the the bottom that sits in the soil moisture. Rotting is not ideal if you're interested in preserving your work. But if you don't care, nobody else should.
9 out of every 10 people who left comments saying "it will just rot" just jealous lazy people with little passion to make things beautiful. Cheers for your hard work. Looks beautiful
Or they live in a wetter climate and don't understand that in some areas of the world things take a lot longer to break down than others.
It’s beautiful and I cannot wait until I have a path and trees that need to come out so that I can copy it!
It’s not that pathways returning to soil are bad; it’s the rotting and mouldy wood spreading disease-causing spores that is problematic. Great idea charring to get rid of organic contents that can lead to mould.
...oh, but does anything that grows on rotting wood *actually* cause disease or are we as a society just becoming germophobic?
This is so pretty! I love how its biodegradable too! I think if anything people didnt want all that hard work to go to waste and have to be redone so soon. Charring was a nice touch and makes the wood look stained. Nice job 👏
I build a lot of things on my land like this. Yard furniture and terracing from fallen trees, untreated. It won’t last. I’m ok with that. Nothing is forever.
“I’m not but I still don’t wanna” @40:40 is one of my fav lines in the show. It’s just such a good followup. I remember cracking the fuck up the first time I rewatched the show as an adult.
That burnt technique looks really pretty! Nice work! If it rots away you can create something new. ❤
It’s a very pretty path, however it becomes a bad thing when returning materials to the earth it actively makes it difficult to walk on. I can only imagine the amount of trips, stubbed toes, and splinters you would accumulate actually using this path regularly.
I think it looks very even and flat? 🤔 Maybe not enough for wheelchair use, but certainly to walk on. And the wood wouldn't get as blisteringly hot to walk on as stone or concrete.
@@QueenMegaeraso you can’t see the very many spots where the wood sticks out more than half an inch above the gravel? you should read the OSHA guidelines for tripping hazards.
@@johnnyirons69420 Half an inch doesn't sound much to me. That's like a normal threshold. I grew up with a stone path, and the grass between the stones would grow to at least an inch or two and there were natural uneven surfaces on the stones and everyone was fine (except on hot days when you would walk in the grass because the stones were like walking on stoves). I know roughly what OSHA is but since I'm not from the US I don't know the details. It can't apply to a path in your own garden, right? I thought it was a workplace thing, and I suppose it could apply to a driveway if it's someone's job to get to your door, but a garden path is just a way to make sure places where you'd like to be able to walk don't grow over as fast. It doesn't have to be perfect. 🤷
@@QueenMegaeraSafety doesn’t end at work, do you still need to use safety glasses at home when working with tools or does the danger just disappear? “I’m not knowledgeable on safety standards but I think it’s fine” isn’t a very strong argument. I just don’t understand going out of your way to create a path for looks instead of function, better alternatives exist.
@@johnnyirons69420 I didn't say I was ignorant of safety standards, I said I was ignorant of American safety standards since I don't live there. And I just mean that a home only has to be safe enough for the people who live there, whereas a workplace needs to be safe enough for anyone who might conceivably have access to it. If you're a person without disabilities who throws a glance at what you're walking on, a slightly rough surface like this is no problem. On the other hand, I broke my hand on my kitchen chair a couple of years back because I moved too fast and wasn't looking. No such thing as a complete guarantee against accidents. Especially if you're as clumsy as me. 😅
It’s really cool looking. My only concern would be it becoming a tripping hazard at some point but if you keep an eye on it I imagine you could keep those issues to a minimum by re-leveling them over time when needed or replacing pieces that have rotted to the point where they are breaking apart.
So mamy new build contractors just want to put down 45 foot by 45 foot slabs of concrete and tell clients - itll last 50 years! Thing is, we dont want to seal off the earth from us from 50 years. We want it to breath with us.
I cannot ❤ this enough. Wonderful.
More of this in the world please 🙏
This looks so beautiful. If you head some ground cover plants growing around the wood it would be so whimsical.
What’s cool about that is not only does it return to the earth, it helps restore it. Think of the cool stuff you can do next!
matter returning to the soil is objectively the best idea
Beautiful way to return nutrients back to the soil and keep things natural. Theres so much toxic junk leaking into our soil, poisoning us and everything else in return. This is refreshing to see. Thank you for sharing this art!
I love this concept. I wish i could do that, but at the moment i can't ever picture myself being able to do it.
Dig in. You will surprise yourself.
You can use cutting board oil, it isn't toxic and will also help it last longer.
Where did you get your green house from or did y’all build it? Looks so beautiful
Looks great! As for rotting, here in Wyoming (11 inches of precip. annually) I put down pine bark nuggets around the vegetable beds 3 years ago and they're not even close to breaking down. I may try this.
When you have to replace them, char all sides of each wafer. Then brush them down with a wire brush then seal them with either oil, polyurethane or another appropriate sealer. They’ll look amazing and last much longer!
it looks beautiful!
I really like mulch paths for the same reason. It serves a purpose of adding something to the environment. Its not just for me. Plus i can get free mulch. A bit of work for something completely free just makes sense and is a net positive.
Should have covered it in clear resin to completely miss the point, looks lovely I'm currently debating my path materials this has made me think thank you, stay safe and keep having fun.
When it rots down, it will be a great base for a topping of chips, evergreen needles, etc., even gravel if you want.
There are a lot of natural things you can seal that with too, to further protect it. Pitch for example, was used on wooden ships during the Age of Sail to help protect the wood against the elements. Basically makes the wood waterproof.
The shou sugi ban method also uses a natural sealant (such as pitch) after charring, but apparently the Japanese more commonly used seed oils for this purpose. I think pitch would work fine too though. Whatever is cheapest/easiest to source on your own.
Wood is my favorite walkways. It's beautiful
My entire garden is built from materials that will rot and return to the earth, it's the best part. I love watching the new grow from the old the cycles of life are beautiful. Keep doing you! If it brings you joy then that's all that matters!!! Thank you for sharing! Godspeed & God Bless🦄🦄🦄🌠🌱🌎😇🌈🌅🦄🦋🌳⚡️
I wish my father could see his son when he's born. Miss you everyday dad 💕
I opt for wood structures in the garden for hardscaping and building materials. I love that cottage, woodland look.
I love your pathway and philosophy! Thanks for showing how to extend the life of a wood pathway.
I'm going to go on a limb and say most people pointed out the rot because most other materials used for a path don't rot away for decades. People usually don't want to redo something again, but it's what makes you happy. I like the idea and would love more people to entertain more out of the box ideas. Why some many people don't do gardens or pay to have them worked on because you have to redo it every year.
I live in the desert. Wood does not break down quickly here because we get so little precipitation. This is actually a wonderful idea in certain areas and climates.
I really like this idea and its look. And guess what I have... a whole huge pile of discard logs! 😊
My first thought was “that’s going to be slick to walk on after it rains” but the charred surface probably fixes that.
What stop weeds coming up?
Did you place plastic underneath?
Is that sand, stone in-between?
It IS STUNNING!!! LOVE IT ❤
Putting anything under the wood bits wouldn't help because you would have soil on top of it. It's likey that the path needs to actually be weeded. :D
It’s a matter of time, efficiency and cost. Yeah it’s beautiful that it rots and blah blah. But you’re trying to “preserve it for longer” by buying a flamethrower (wasn’t cheap). Could’ve bought flat rocks…
It looks nice because it's natural! Linseed oil could help extend it a little more, and it's totally natural. It has to be applied annually and that seems okay.
There are several brands and they average about $40 gallon. (USA price)
Best wishes for your gardens and your pathway!
My grandfather had a pathway like this going into his garden. Every few years he would make me and my cousin go out and paint it with used motor oil before using a weed torch on it. The path was still walkable when my grandfather passed a couple years ago and I think it was put in some 20 odd years ago and I want to say a couple of the outer pieces were replaced somewhere along the way.
YOU DID A BEAUTIFUL JOB
I agree totally on your reasoning and motivation !
WOW I would love to do this too my garden entrance. I live In the forest 🌲 plenty of trees.
You Inspired Me ❤Thank you
I’ll remember you 😊
Personally? I would probably enjoy the fact I need to redo it every so often. Like once it begins to really break down, that’s my cue that now I have another project to attend to. After all, that’s why we do it right? Cause we like to?
Very nice i would not have thought of that and like u said if you know it will turn into dirt who cares. I put wood chips down on my garden paths and thats a ton of work to move woodchips from the front of my yard to the back acre, one wheelbarrow at a time. I never regret it!❤
I like it. It is looking lovely also in its aged form. I could see myself doing this ❤
Placing them top of tree down will slow the rot. Take a wood round and drop a little water on both ends, one end will absorb water faster than the other. The less absorbent side goes down.
I would have planted moss in between.
I would like to do this, thanks for the visual I wondered how it might look, it's perfect
Exactly we should be utilizing natural processes to live in harmony with Earth rather than destroying our own environment to produce things that will outlive us. Certainly some things should be "built to last" but we need to work on the full circle cycle of items from production all the way to recycling and reuse for that to even make sense.. and when there are better choices to be made, like using materials that can easily be taken care of by natural processes from beginning to end, we should do that. I agree and I like your path :)
Hydraulic oil and motor oil is free from shops and will help a lot. You can add tint for color of your choice.
That’s beautiful! We live in a very wet climate and I do wonder how much that would speed up decomposition. I should test a small area and see. 😊
It will depend on the type of wood & the thickness of the log slabs. We got a chip drop with logs in it 3 years ago, some of the logs were a red coniferous wood & they are holding up really well to the very moist areas of my garden while some of the softer wood logs are 50% or more broken down already.
I like that it’s a bit cracked and worn down. A lot more interesting than gravel or concrete as long as it’s safe and stable to walk on
Everyone wants the most efficient, most perfect method for everything. If you're willing to put in the maintenance of something you love, it's worth doing. Nothing lasts forever.
It’s yours, and you made it with your own hands and knowledge.
“Stay interested in your career, however humble. It is a true possession in the changing fortunes of time” -Max Ehrman
There are naturally rot-resistant woods one could use if they're really so worried about deterioration. Cedar is a great example. By the time this pathway needs to be replaced, it'll probably be in pretty good shape to put in a garden bed or at least toss in the compost pile to finish biodegrading!
I use shredded wood mulch for my pathway. The entire point is for it to break down and give back to the soil. Better than plastic breaking down
I had those as a walkway for 10 years. However, they become VERY slippery when wet. When they put me on my arse, while carrying my toddler (Twisted hell out my back to fall on my arse instead of her!), I had enough. It was 3rd fall, countless slips, so I removed it and used stepping stones instead. It is SO pretty tho.
The pathway was NOT rotted, even at the bottom and at LEAST 15 years old cedar when I dug them out.
Gorgeous and earthy
You can treat the wood with used motor oil and extend its life by decades. We got posts my grandfather put down over 60 years ago still holding fine, im pretty sure he submerged them for a month in oil first, which is excessive (just like gpa). I have 2x6 decking on my utility trailer that i did and treated and its been exposed to the elements for 10 years and hasn't aged a day. Shit just works, just saying.
The earth might claim them a little faster, but that should last a long time. Old factories had wood block floors. The building I work in is over 100 years old, most of it is concrete, but there is some wood left, where the forklifts don't normally drive.
Not only does it add character, you're giving a chance for beneficial insects and other microfauna to thrive
🐛🐜🐞🌱
Wooden paths always feel more natural and beautiful! We made one and I love it, lids love it and it feels better on bear feet
Great job 👏 keep going champ you got this ❤❤❤❤❤
Potassium liquid glass would add water resistance with low cost. I use it in wooden flower containers.
Soak them in diesel, then once dry in a month do the fire, mine have lasted about 8yrs and just pull out the really bad ones and replace with leftovers.
The leftovers have never been replaced, so the longer they dry after soaking and drying the more durable they become😊
Looks great, a good way to use the waste wood as well.
It looks so whimsical! It's totally fine if it rots, impermanence isn't a bad thing. I do have one concern, how is it in the rain? I had wooden stairs that would get super slippery, but this was in the PNW around Seattle. I've been on wooden bridges that weren't slippery at all when wet. I'm not really sure what's responsible for the difference!
im obsessed with that path. love it
Spittin facts haha I’d love this, it’s ok to replace every few years, could throw all the old ones at the bottom of flower pots.
- So beautiful. I've seen a bar like that before.
I am using fallen branches as trellises for my squash, they wont last as long and are more difficult to work with but it cost nothing and kept dead wood on the land instead of being cleared out (they fell in parks, in the road, and on the golf course) so otherwise it was just gunna end up in a land fill
If you had charred the parts in contact with the soil, you could have kept the live edge. Looks great either way!
There is an interview by Kirsten Dirksen of a man who builds everything he makes out of things that don’t last because according to him, he wants to rebuild something different later. That’s an interesting point of view. Enjoying the creative aspect has value.
My greenhouse needs rebuilding every 3 years. The frame is made of Hazel - look up "Hazel bender" to see the general idea. I've used the same piece of polytunnel plastic for 6+ years so far and have just rebuilt the frame again. It costs me a little bit of time harvesting the Hazel and doing the work, and a little bit of string. At the end I get a small amount of seasoned firewood from it which I use to cook some meals.
I could build a more permanent structure, but I'd need to put more money in and design it carefully. Maybe some day I will - I have a design in mind. Originally I wanted a glass greenhouse, but when I was standing there looking at the area one day I got blown off my feet by a gust of wind and so decided glass probably wasnt the best idea after all.
In prehistoric times, our ancestors were enthralled with the idea that structures and artwork could last into the future by noticing the longevity of stone and artwork protected inside caves or made from stone
Yes. Some cultures try to make art last, others think beauty is at its best when fleeting. Viewpoints vary...
just cardboard covered in mulch wood chips also works if thats your purpose, if you add mushroom spores it will even produce food
I'm in the process of rewilding the property I bought several years ago, so I do appreciate things experiencing their intended natural cycles. I wouldn't do this where I live, though, as it is extremely humid year-round. It wouldn't just be an issue of rotting, it'd be an issue specifically of attracting more termites than usual to the house, as well as specific breeds of hornets and other very cranky insects that like to set up shop in chunks of decaying wood. I do envy climates where things like this walkway would be feasible.
I did this. I didn't char it or anything. It lasted two or three years. I had bigger slabs like stepping "stones." It was free, easy, looked nice for a while. I took the broken pieces out this year and replaced them with wood chips, which will also decompose... But these were also free, nontoxic, readily available, took me like ten minutes to put down and I should get a couple years out of it until I need to do something else.
Is "thuja" something you know? They got these flat, non-prickly "needles" that shed and they last incredibly long and make great mulch. They also smell very close to a pine, very nice. :D
What a beautiful place! I wish I could see a yard my dad did like that on a friend’s place in San Francisco, it was nothing but a hill, they did a beautiful job for parties and events the owner used to have all the time. I saw it when they first finished and it was all lit up with little lights going down the pathway that turned on at dusk. That was decades ago. Wonder how it looks now. I know the house was in several commercials over the years.
Absolutely stunning. Might steal this idea. 😅
Everything returns to the earth ❤sometimes we forget that. It’s okay, your path is still beautiful and a reminder that we all all connected to this earth and react to the passing of time in our own way ✌️ drink some water!
Old castles used to use timber end grain cobbles around entryways and they used them near monasteries. Those have lasted hundreds of years so provided it isn’t too damp underneath, your path will probably outlast you.
Lovely. Where I live it would get slick and mossy so I won’t be trying it. I do wood chip pathways through our woods. It lasts a surprisingly long time if the path is getting use.