Posted by bloomville z4 NY (My Page) on Thu, Oct 12, 06 at 16:57 Hi all, Over the past several years, I have built about 6 raised beds of various lengths in a field near my house. I have used newspaper and hay as pathways between the beds. I like the rustic look (and scent!) of the pathways, and they seem conducive to housing toads, snakes, and other desirable critters. However, there are 2 disadvantages to this method: (1) The paths have to be "rebuilt" with new hay annually, which is time-consuming and laborious (2) by mid-summer weeds are cropping up through the hay in many spots. I can live with all this, and may continue to, but I'd be interested in other, environmentally friendly (and low cost) options that are lasting and also aethetically pleasing. I'm eager to hear your ideas! Posted by veggievicki 7b (My Page) on Thu, Oct 12, 06 at 18:32 I get mulch from our county mulch yard. It's free, so you can pile it on as thickly as you've got a way to haul it home. I get the fresher stuff. Seems maybe the acidity helps keep weeds down. The down side is some ends up in the veggie beds so you have big chunks of stuff that gets in the way of the garden fork and small seeds. Posted by granite z6 NC (My Page) on Fri, Oct 13, 06 at 1:08 I've had my pathways in mowed grass (terrible, clippings blown in to the beds, etc), grass clippings, leaves, pine bark nuggets, wood chips, and hay. I vote for wood chips. I vote STRONGLY against pine bark nuggets as they float around when it rains, never make a good firm path, and don't get the job done. Grass clippings rot in quickly, so I use them more to mulch around the beans than in the walkways now. Posted by rosebush z7 NC (My Page) on Fri, Oct 13, 06 at 10:12 Bark mulch (shredded) works for me. Tried the straw/hay on paper one year and the sprouts came fast and furious. The mulch can be piled thicker on cardboard and works great. Posted by terri_portland 8 NW OR (My Page) on Fri, Oct 13, 06 at 16:06 Is is possible the seeds in the hay are sprouting? Straw is a better option, it's been stripped of seeds (for the most part) and still has that lovely farmy earthy smell. Posted by hunter_tx 7bTx (My Page) on Fri, Oct 13, 06 at 17:12 One thing you might consider is relaying the newspaper really thick. I used newspaper in a new raised bed about four years ago, and it's still working great. You could also consider using pea gravel or small river rock stones on top of the newspaper. Mrs H Posted by bloomville z4 NY (My Page) on Fri, Oct 13, 06 at 20:57 Hi all-- thanks for these thoughts/ideas. alas, the price of straw was crazy last year--around here, I was quoted a price of $6 a bale--couldn't afford it given how many I needed. as for thickness of the newspapers--maybe that's the issue. I guess I need to keep experimenting, and you all have given me some new ideas to experiment with! Posted by laceyvail ...

Kim said... >My original obsession was outrageously out of hand and I loved it. [...] I'm keeping to the level area as much as possible. Weeding that slope is offensive enough without having to traipse up and down, sliding on every other step, to maintain anything down there. I know I will resent the ones which go on the slope and will eventually allow them to go the way of the Dodo, so I'm choosing to rid myself of them, instead. That's a LOT of roses, quite a few of which are seedlings either generated through my obsession or those shared with me by other "obsessives", but that is what it is going to take to keep this "fun", doable and prevent the water requirements from eating me out of house, home and desire. Weeding through them to maintain those which are just happier to be here with me and those which are endangered, has been a real chore. Now, if there was a ton of level land with high ground water. Hi Kim, Back in the Dark Ages we lived in California in just the sort of spot you are conjuring up as a high ground water fix. But native trees really like spots like that too... and our house had lots of shade, too much shade for most roses. Still, we wouldn't have dreamed of cutting down a tree. We didn't own the house, we like trees, and anyway, removing a tree was illegal without a good reason for a permit where we lived (a Monarch Butterfly preserve). Anyway, we were relative youngsters at the time and didn't know just how wet that property was until our vegetable garden was swimming in water during the winter months. It was fine, fine black silty sand that held on to the water pretty well too. Your post made me think about what we'd do if confronted with your lack of water problems back in California again. What you're doing makes a lot of sense. But I also am wondering whether a bank full of Renaes rambling around might not survive and also keep the weeds down once they proliferated and established themselves? They might take over the other remaining roses, but if you weren't still trying hard to keep those... A bunch of Renaes might not require so much watering once established? I don't think a big crowd of them would look bad at all, depending on personal tastes, of course. In fact, I prefer that kind of look. We've done that crowded thing in a pretty good sized area with azaleas and rhododendrons here; they all grow together and if there's a weed under there somewhere, well, you can't easily penetrate to find or see it. Once in awhile there's a tree sneaking in that will have to be pulled up, but basically it's too shady under all the plant thickness for most weeds to grow. And I adore the looks of those crowded plants! No, we don't have big problems with fungal diseases, even with the crowd. Maybe fewer than average problems, though phytopthera wilt sometimes does require some cutting back of rhododendron limbs. You know a big problem with azaleas and rhododendrons is that they aren't drought tolerant. Well, we have lost huge numbers since our drought problems began big time here around 2001. It's been wonderfully rainy most of the time during the last couple of years, but the next drought period is probably just around the corner... and if we lose some more azaleas and rhododendrons then, well, I'm thinking of trying to establish some Renaes and Annie Laurie McDowells in their place in the relatively sunnier spots... along with some more camellias, which are drought tolerant after the first year. (Though blooming is less than ideal if August and September are dry.) We lost our Annie Laurie McDowell to Rose Rosette Disease last year, but I am figuring that if it's anything like our Renae here, well, it's as no-care, no-worry a plant as any other plant of any kind we've ever had in our yard. Not a touch of blackspot or any other disease here thus far (though that may well change just a bit as we get more shade as the sun angle changes during the fall). Anyway, I'm hoping for another Annie Laurie McDowell eventually too. Ours is a no-spray all-organic yard for everything we grow and Renae fits well into that way of doing things. I think Annie Laurie McDowell will too. I know it hurts to cut back some on what you are able to continue doing, Kim. But I keep thinking mostly about your achievements and how much you have helped so many others in what you have already contributed. Thank you! Best wishes, Mary

I like to sit in the sunniest spot near the raised vegetable beds facing the sunshine looking back toward the house & front yard. We live in a clearing in the forest, so I have to seek the sunshine if I want it. Years ago I put a chair there & called it my office when there were just a few containers & fruit trees nearby. My kids knew that I needed some alone time in the sunshine, so it was a nice quiet retreat from being mom on duty. I have changed the gardens a lot over the years. Now there are 2 chairs, a foot stool & a side table there for my hubby & I when he has time. Usually, it's just me sitting there in the summer sunshine reading, praying, listening to my MP3 player or the birds. Last year, my guys laid a paver patio next to our 6x8 greenhouse. We have a small iron looking bistro set + a iron bench on the patio, so it's a fun place for us to sit & hang out. In mild weather we can eat meals there. It's sunnier than the back deck & I like being surrounded by the flower beds just beyond the paths on 3 sides.

Madreselva they all look great! My peppers are doing wonderfully and are lush with a ton of fruit on them right now. My tomatoes are about done except a volunteer cherry that came up late and now looks wonderful and is bearing some fruit. New England Asters just peaked, I have two mums that survived from last year (a white and a yellow). 'Black and Blue' Salvia looks awesome......blooming like crazy with its purple, almost surreal flowers. Pots of tuberous begonias are bright colors. Darn, I did not save or plant Dahlias this year. Yours look great!!