No chemicals or pesticides for years and as of the last two years, no tilling... and my garden gets better every year. The only things I use sparingly (so sparingly that I haven't used any so far this year) is an organic fungicide and some BT for controlling caterpillars (also have not used this so far). The only scary thing about using no pesticides and no herbicides is that things will always get worse before they get better. Basically, detrimental insects are the first to show up, they are opportunistic feeders and when presented with tender and delicious garden crops they will begin feasting. Their numbers will likely grow large assuming they have enough to eat and ideal conditions in other respects. Only once their numbers are fairly significant will the beneficial predatory insects begin to show up because their food (other insects) is now readily available. For my garden, the first on the scene are aphids, then come the flea beetles... Their numbers grow large, my plants leaves begin to look like they're part of a shooting range with holes all over the place. Then the ladybugs show up, then the hoverflies, then green lacewings and I get treated to the site of a praying mantis every now and then. The aphids nearly disappear, the flea beetles reduce in number so as to become non-issue and sometimes they disappear completely. Organic gardening without pesticides and herbicides is easy, once you figure out what works in your area - that's where the research and trial and error begin. The biggest thing I learned is that gardening without pesticides and herbicides means you need to plan things out and do things differently, generally at different times of year. I was always taught (non-organic) to till and add fertilizer in the spring, give your plants some "blue water" once they’re a certain size, and some more at regular intervals for the rest of the season; When the bugs show-up, spray them. For weeds, I was always told to use block material or landscape fabric, it’ll keep weeds from coming through. What I do now is no-till with mulching about 3-4 times a year using locally grown hay (preferably alfalfa hay - though it's more expensive and I generally go with a mix) maintaining a 4-6" deep layer for most of the year. The hay mulch smothers just about every weed, retains soil moisture, protects the soil life, and feeds the soil as it breaks down; It's great stuff. In the fall I top-dress my amendments: Compost made from kitchen scraps, some manure (free) from a local horse farm, chopped leaves and grass, and then hay over the top - It rots over the fall, winter, and early spring. Then (early spring) I add more hay and then I plant directly into it. By the time plants go into the soil, they have everything they need for pretty much the whole season. Mid-to-late season I'll pile on some more mulch to maintain about 4-6 inches in mulch thickness and keep the flow of food into the soil. No spraying for bugs involved in any of that. It actually works out to also be a lot cheaper since I have no real need to buy any fertilizers and to mulch 400 sq ft. of garden costs 16 dollars.

Hi Bud, I didn't notice anything looked left out. It is a good video. You did a good job with it. I don't have a mind for cyper-anything, I'm afraid. I can do things if I'm shown, but if I'm away from it for too long, I have to be re-trained. I haven't gotten to where I can post photos on the forums yet. My husband was going to coach me last year, but he got sick and I was taking care of him for months. I teased him about it, telling him some people will do anything to keep from having to show someone how to post photos on the forum. And people tell me it's so easy. Am not good with instructions. But I'll learn. I didn't think about sandy soil being easier to pull nutgrass out of. Of course it would be. I recall one year, I got some nutgrass killer you had to put on with an eyedropper, into the middle of each piece of grass that grew. I tried it and it didn't work on the few I put it on and then I looked and saw how much I'd have to drop the stuff on and went back in the house, thinking they must be crazy to expect someone to use a dropper on a yardfull of that stuff. Wire grass doesn't seem like such a great thing, either. I don't know what that is. I did wonder about why the neighbor's grass was all dead-looking. Don't worry--I'll never tell..... ;) What I have found is that cypress mulch does a number on nutgrass, plus it tries to grow in the mulch and then it's easy to pull up the strings, but that grass also has seeds! It's a real survivor and it can pierce any kind of weed cloth, or plastic mulch you put down, even in layers. I HATE that stuff. Why couldn't a lawn grass be like that? I only recently learned that it's called nutsedge. Didn't know what that was, but saw some nutsedge killer and took a good look and suspected that was the same as nutgrass. One thing about it is it sure would hold soil together, the way it grows. An erosion fighter. noss

Thank you very much I just purchased this stone as well and noticed every time any drop of water falls on the stone it makes a water stain which tells me is very porous. Now I know it needs to be sealed. Awesome to come across this blog.

Sigrid, As I said, I attempted to reach out even though she lives in Washington and I am in California. I cannot find a phone number and the brick and mortar is now a medical pharmacy establishment. I did contact her four times through Houzz with no response. I did my due diligence with respect her design integrity. And That is why I have no qualms about sharing the application of her beautiful design inspiration. After all isn’t that what Houzz is for? So again thank you Mary Poulos Interiors. Didn’t the application of her inspiration come out perfect for our oddly shaped yard!!