You don't have to work in them every night, by any means, once they're established. The garden will take most work at the beginning of the season. Did you use soil from your property, or buy topsoil or something? Since it's the first time you're using this soil it is a good idea to have it tested for pH, N, P, and K. The store bought kits aren't accurate, best to send a soil sample to your county extension. Then you know what you're working with. If you have to add something to balance or boost the nutrients, keep in mind that it's better to feed the soil than the plants. This will make it better each year. Using plant food is kind of equivalent to you living on vitamins instead of food. There are a lot of ideas about what to feed the soil. There's a lot written about using rock powders to supply phosphorus and potassium (P,K). I like these, b/c it basically replicates the way nature builds soil: from breaking down rock into tiny particles. People often supply the soil with P with bone meal, bone char, rock phosphate. For K, greensand, or a mixture of wood ashes and kelp. Nitrogen is supplied by blood meal, fish meal, alfalfa meal... Compost may supply it too, depending on what it's made of. I never add N b/c my compost seems to supply enough. If you don't make your own compost, you can buy it in bags. Add a couple of inches the first year, only a half or one inch yearly after that. You can put it on top of the soil now that the beds are already planted. In the future you take the compost and whatever nutrients you're using and kind of chop it in up and down with a rake or hoe. You want to mix it into the top few inches. As others have said, use a trowel or get a hand weeder and scrape along just under the surface of the soil to cut the roots. Just a sweeping motion. Get them while they're small, it's easiest this way. After than, mulch will keep them down. Mulch does a lot of things: it keeps the soil cool, keeps it from drying out, gives worms something to work, eventually breaks down and adds organic matter to your soil. You'll be amazed when you lift up a section of mulch and see the beautiful soil underneath.

Believe it or not, I saw a tree ring several years ago almost exactly like what you are describing and was so impressed, I asked how they had built it. They had constructed a base about 6" deep around the perimeter by digging out a hole in the ground out to the outer finish diameter , centered the galvanized pipe, then poured quikrete to fill the outer section just below grade. Once that had set (an hour) they simply built up a "rock" around it by hand using a very dry lightweight concrete mix with a lot of fiber added (helped it stay in place easier). You could save a lot of concrete by building up a spray foam core then covering that with your mix as long as you allow for 3-4" of concrete for strength. I also noticed they had formed some lath over the top edge and covered the pipe's upper edge down below the tree's soil level so that it did not show at all once the dirt was in place. The final finish was a mix of dry "shake-on" concrete colors and a little acid color stippled on with a stiff brush. Very well done and virtually identical to real rock (they went for a speckled, reddish granite). As I recall the only negative was that it held a bit too much water because the soil below it was high in clay. The "fix" would have been to simply amend the soil below or dig it out and place rock & gravel for drainage. Best of luck, I just wish I'd had a camera with me back then...it was really great looking.

I live in Northwestern WI. The USDA Hardiness zone map for the division of 3 & 4 runs right through my area. But I am also on a small strip of land on a hill between two lakes, surrounded by trees. I've easily killed zone 4 plants that were suppose to be indestructable. The electric company cleared out quite a few trees, so it might be closer to six hours now of sun, but it is definitely part shade. The intesity of the few hours of direct sun have killed shade plants (I lost a brunerra and a really cool looking geranium[cranesbill]). The lack of sun also decreased the pallet of my garden to pastels. Lots of pinks and purples and yellows. That New Dawn might just be the trick. It's lovely, and the pale color at that higher field of vision should play well with my other lower plants. I still like the Dr. Henry Upshall. It was cultivated by Hortico in 1993 according to Google. Still not sure if it can handle the lack of lots of sun though. I won't put anything new into the garden until Mother's Day, so I still have lots of time to research. Will be putting the Godkids to work in April on hardscaping after the frost finally heaves. Dr. says I can garden in April, but I doubt that means I can haul rock.LOL

I just realized in my first post I typed that I finished with the guidance of my painting teacher. I meant to say without. The unmatted size is 30" x 22" I took the picture with just a mat to avoid the glare from the glass. I currently have it framed temporarily in an Ikea frame. Eventually I'll get it professionally framed. What kind of mat(s) do you suggest golddust?