Day 317

While the garden and playset will eventually be mulched with a more aesthetically-pleasing and pleasant to tread on base later, our nature play area will be more natural. To help prevent weeds from overtaking it, I laid down some heavy duty tarp normally used for prairie restoration. I got free wood chips to spread over the taros and target logs to border the outside.

That was the plan. Plans change. Or at least are put on hold.

While I received the wood and set up the tarps in spring, they sat there basically untouched for months. Most of the larger, heavier logs were not able to be placed on their final destination because the land was too soft. Occasionally, I went and spread a few chips, but other projects and life in general took precedence over this task time and time again.

Finally, I was fortunate to have a friend join me one afternoon and we hammered out the next steps of this process. 

While some of the heavier logs are still unable to be moved until we purchase/borrow a tractor, we were able to move enough of the smaller logs to make a general border of the play area. Then, we proceeded to level the large hill of wood chips to spread them over a good portion of the tarped area. There is still a smaller hill and exposed tarp to take care of, but the place looks much more Like I had envisioned now that time was actually spent working in it.

It is still incomplete and may be so until the ground freezes and we can move the remaining logs without causing major damage to the ground or getting any machinery stuck in the mud. The remaining logs can be placed directly onto the chips and serve as a balance beam. They could also be cut up into different size stumps and serve as stepping stumps. The possibilities are not quite endless  but there are a number of options we could make to add to the play area. Whatever we end up deciding, I am excited to put the ideas into action and create a unique and exciting nature play area.