What should I do with this bed?
camillej
4 years ago
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camillej
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Putting the Garden to Sleep
Comments (14)I think this is all a matter of personal preference. The mixing of any organic materials into the soil is going to provide benefits and the more you add the more improvement to the soil. But it has been my experience that the soil will warm quicker in the early spring without any mulch, organic or plastic. You could roll back this material in the spring but it seems like additional work to me and I don't see any benefit of having it there through winter....See MoreSuggestions, Please?
Comments (1)Do the beds with the whole leaves have any grass clippings mixed in? IF so, I wouldn't worry about it, the finished product next spring may vary between the different beds but it should still be good. If the beds with the whole leaves don't have any "greeen" or nitrogen source, you might want to add your cottonseed meal to those beds now. Or perhaps another nitrogen source like coffee grounds, urine, blood meal or alfalfa meal....See Moreclearing garden bed for new plants
Comments (2)Lasagna mulching is very effective against seedlings, including the snapdragons. It will be mediocre-to-good in preventing the corms from sprouting. The key will be in making the newspaper layer very thick to prevent light from hitting the soil, and in smothering any little sprouts that do try to poke through it. I'd suggest at least ¼" (½" is better) thickness of sopping wet newspaper, overlapping the sections about 2". Top with 2" to 3" of organic mulch such as shredded leaves. To plant, stab with a sharpened trowel and put the transplant into soil, then mulch around each transplant. Keep a close eye on them and pull up any glad sprout that tries to push the transplant out of the way. I do not recommend direct seeding this year or next year -- instead, start the seeds in pots and then transplant into the mulched bed. Remember that the newspaper must be completely concealed under a thick layer of mulch, and to keep the mulch moist. Drip irrigation is superb for maintaining the proper moisture level. Unless you sift the soil to remove all the corms, it is likely that you will have those corms attempting to sprout for several years. Because DH shoves the mulch aside so he can direct-seed, I am still removing cormsprouts from a bed that hasn't had glads in the past five years. Good luck and happy growing!...See MoreWhat should I do with my flower beds?
Comments (3)No question about it. I would ditch all the wood and go with flat ground. Let the plants alone be where height comes from. Also, what would make a big difference for your house is to expand the porch, landing and walk. Replacing it is not the only way, Many times, one can add on to these things in order to make them larger ... such as like having rows of pavers run flush along the outside of the walk. The rose bush may need rejuvenation ... where you cut it down and regrow it from the ground up. Try to get it growing is more of a dome shape where there is foliage at the bottom. Given the small size of the composition, long blooming perennials, such as 'Stella d'Oro' daylilies, and annuals flanking the stoop would go a long way toward making a cheerful entrance. Where I've placed the blue flowers could be something like 'Caesar's Brother' Siberian Iris. There would only be something at the outer limits of the bed during the winter months. It's a trade off but one that I think would be worth it. If instead you tried to use shrubs flanking the steps, it's going to mean a lot of trimming to keep them in bounds. At the outer corners, the mat forming Dianthus might work, if it grows where you are....See Morecamillej
4 years ago
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