Finally! Every Bed Has Been Weeded and Mulched

11 years ago

A big Hooray! on that.

Today, I re-weeded and mulched the front bed, the side rose bed, and the rest of the 4X8 bed in the center of the front garden. That
last bed has regular lillies and Shasta daisies in it.

The iris have bloomed an enormously long time, and the roses have just flushed are in the spring flush or are about to be in it, so it has been great fun to see it all.

Now all the beds are weeded and mulched, but the big path in the reworked bed is not mulched, so some re-weeding and mulching will have to be done there, and the entire garden will have to be monitored and weeded as they poke up. I feel ready for bloom season now.
kay

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Comments (10)

houstmag
11 years ago
Kay you have worn me out just thinking of all the work you have been doing. It has already started to get hot here in FL so my hard work is just about over for me.
Linda
organic_kitten
Original Author
11 years ago
Linda, that is precisely why I have been pushing so hard. It isn't Florida, but it gets so hot and so humid that working outside can not only be uncomfortable, but even dangerous.

My garden is rather large, and I didn't take proper care of it last year, so it was much worse. I fell as if it is under control now. Most assuredly not at all perfect, but under control.
kay
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Being the lazy gardener I am my rule is to go with easiest path- I do have few huge oaks on the property- so all fallen leaves stay on flower beds. In the spring I only remove worst pile ups leaving everything else to work itself out. I do not only overplant I double and triple plant in same spot- gardening on suburban lot is a challenge when you want one of each plants ;) so I have early bulbs and ephemerals going in the spring, then I might grow spring blooming columbine and fall blooming anemone together in same spot, or early blooming phlox subulata and fall blooming gentian will give way to each other... I do not have weeds/ they do not stand any chance with my full garden/ and I really do not mulch- mother Nature does it for me. I do transplant/ move plants around once in a while- at worst I could kill ephemerals if I am not careful or just spread around many of my naturalized bulbs...
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Spraying poplar suckers has potential to damage the parent tree. Fine mulch is ideal for getting lots of new little plants coming up, as mentioned. Paper mulch is best for smothering weeds in an area that is going to be made into a bed later, rather than as a routine maintenance tool. You put down a thick layer and get it wet, keep it wet. Also a decorative mulch may be put over the newspaper layer, if desired. Coarser mulch such as clean arborist wood chips or purchased play chips is the most effective, however as has been pointed out in response to one of my posts on this site there can be issues with smothering when such materials are used near herbaceous plants. Even when applied some distance back chips may often migrate and get on top of perennials. Really if you are going to have flower plantings of much size and scope you can expect to be out there hand weeding etc. as a matter of course. If working among your flowers like this is more a vexation than a relaxation then consider making some changes. One way to include herbaceous plants in a home landscape without the upkeep being too much is to have one small or smallish area where these are planted, with the rest in lawn and woody plants (mulched with wood chips). This post was edited by bboy on Mon, Aug 18, 14 at 15:14
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I always put down a layer of newspaper (and wet it) before I mulch - about 6 to 8 sheets - making sure to place it a few inches from the plants. This helps keep down the weeds growing through the mulch. The newspaper breaks down of course, so you have to do this every year (or perhaps twice, if you mulch in spring and in fall) before putting down new mulch. If your area is small enough, you could rake up the mulch and lay some paper down and remulch. Otherwise, as mxk says, use a rake or "claw" (just what the heck IS the name of that tool? :) I can't live without mine!) and cultivate lightly and the weeds should come out easily. Just yesterday I finally had some time to do some work in the vegetable garden. It's been very dry here, and I thought my newly planted cukes and tomatoes needed some mulch. I didn't get to shred as many leaves as I usually do last fall (my mulch of choice), and had nothing on hand, so I cut up old leaf bags, ones which the bottoms had rotted on anyway (I re-use these things till they literally fall apart), laid that down, and then mulched with shredded paper. Doesn't look too pretty, but one is so blinded by the sun boucing off the white mulch no one can look for long anyway, lol!
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jean_ar
11 years ago
that's great kay,I know that's a big load off the shoulders to have it all weeded.wish I could say the same but, can notI don't know what kind of weeds I have here, but, have never seen any like them before here.there roots go half way to china I do believe, and so hard rto pull out.maybe after this next round of storms and get more rain it will softernthe ground to help a little.I sprayed some of them with round up, thinking no way I am going to be able to pull all these weeds out.I certainly hope so.I took a break today, didn't work outside except to water potted ones that was very dry.I went to wal mart with my young daughter,and she took me to a salon to get a perm.one of my mothers day gifts she said.Then we went by the deli in a nother grocery store and bought dinner in the deli.they have such good food.I didn't think I neeed much to eat, but she disagreeded.I lost 6 pounds since I was at the drs 3 months ago,without even tying to lose it.anyway,I was very pleased to lose it. now I am down to 129. I always feel better at 115 to 120.

jean
Julia WV (6b)
11 years ago
Okay, so hop in your car and come north and help me. LOL.

Julia
organic_kitten
Original Author
11 years ago
Well, Jean, we have had very regular rains this year...this is the way weather always was in Alabama until these last years of drought, so the soil here is fairly soft, especially in the beds that have been mulched for a long time. But I totally agree with you about the weeds. All the old familiar weeds in bunches, and some new big baddies with long roots. I'm not through, I just have the beds weeded and mulched, but they come back to a much lesser extent, and I have to keep ahead of them.

Ha! Ha! Julia, I would love to see you and your garden, but it is a bit far...and mine would be knee high again by the time I got back.
kay
shive
11 years ago
Kay - I wish I could say the same. I only have one half of one bed weeded. The rain every weekend has kept me from getting more done, and it's making more weeds grow in the places where I've already cleared them. I guess I shouldn't complain about the rain since it was so scarce last year.

Debra
newyorkrita
11 years ago
Kay, you are always busy in that garden. Great job.
jean_ar
11 years ago
Well,kay,maybe you will get rain with this next storm coming your way.I didn't get a drop of rain out of it, but my daughters,, 9 miles away got plenty rain.,so I will have to go out and water again tomorrow.

jean
Nancy
11 years ago
Don't you just heave a big sigh of relief when you get that first round of weeding done? I just got finished this week too, & with all the rain I'm seeing new ones pop up. Still, won't be nearly so bad from now on.
I've noticed the iris lasting much longer this year, maybe because it has been extra warm the last couple of years. Seemed like last year the daffs & iris were here one day & gone the next, but they are hanging around much longer this year.
organic_kitten
Original Author
11 years ago
Debra, the rain and uncertain temps (cold/hot/cool/...) wreak havoc on garden work...and encourage the stupid weeds.

Rita, look who's talking about being busy in the garden. As you well know, they require it.

Jean, we got a little, but not the rain they had forecast. We have had a lot of rain this spring, so we are in good shape at the moment.

Yes, Nancy! Such a sigh of relief. You know the drill, push, push . push. Finally. but the weeds start popping up and you have to stay ahead now that you are finally ahead. I agree, everything seems to be having an extended season this year. The late iris are just now blooming, and my monster New Dawn hasn't opened the hundreds of buds it is sporting at this time. It is nice to get to enjoy them, and I would not otherwise have gotten everything weeded. ahead of daylily season. Got to spray everything now.

kay

Finally! Every Bed Has Been Weeded and Mulched

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Finally! Every Bed Has Been Weeded and Mulched

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