What did I do yesterday?
I prepared a new garden area. Kind of.
This is a small area next to my vegetable garden. I wanted to tie the arbor to the vegetable bed with a planting area, make it easier (hopefully) to mow around, and finally (finally!) plant the rose I bought this spring to go next to the arbor (it's a New Dawn rose - I know all my rosy friends will want to know that).
I started by watering the ground well, so I could get a shovel into it! Then I spray painted where I wanted to place the edging. The edging from the vegetable garden to the arbor was simple. One side was a straight line, exactly the length of the edging. The other side I curved in order to exactly fit two lengths of edging. I liked the design, so I took a shovel and dug a very thin trench, fit the edging into the trench, and hammered in the stakes that hold the edging down.
How to do it right:
After this step, you should shovel out all the grass.
How I did it:
I'm always looking for shortcuts. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. I hate shoveling out grass, so I opted for a shortcut. I laid down cardboard (I've been saving it for months), and mulched on top. This method works fairly well. I still get grass coming up here and there, which I pull by hand. Sometimes I get a lot of grass still coming up, and in those instances, I just put down another layer of cardboard and mulch over that patch of grass.
Some tips:
It's best to prepare the beds six months to a year before you plant, although I do plant shrubs with this method. I just have to be diligent to pull any grass that comes up next to the shrubs. Be sure not to get the mulch too close to the plant stems. And only use plain cardboard. Do not use boxes that have a painted or glossy finish on them, as these have toxins. Water after putting down the cardboard, and again after putting down the mulch.
How long I worked:
I'm slow, but I'm steady. It took me about 3-1/2 hours to complete this job. It was almost too much for a hot summer's day, but I wanted to finish, so I did. I did take several breaks, and drank lots of water. And, of course, it took me quite some time to find all the tools I needed.
The bad:
There is still some grass coming up between the vegetable bed and the newly mulched area. I'll end up pulling this by hand, but that's a chore for another day.
A joy from the garden:
Gruss An Aachen. I love this rose! Isn't it just the most beautiful color?!
What will I do today?
I'll let you know tomorrow!
I enjoy your projects and your progress!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy having them done! haha
DeleteNice work. Just finished mulching out a huge bed at my mom's to get it all ready to plant this fall. This is not the time to do this with the heatwave we are in. I'm all for making things to make it easier to mow though.
ReplyDeleteCher Sunray Gardens
I have always wondered why I have to start projects in the middle of the hottest time of the summer. But then I realized, in spring I mulch and weed, and summer is the time I have to get started. It would be smarter to wait until fall, but I'm too anxious for that! :)
DeleteI had a small lawn in my front garden that never did well in the shade. Like you, I didn't fancy digging up all the grass. I covered it in old carpets and old compost bags, followed by a covering of chip barks to hide everything. A year later, I removed the carpets and bags, no grass left at all, and none has ever returned since.
ReplyDeleteSmart tip! I will do just about anything to keep from shoveling out grass. Just too frustrating and back breaking for me!
DeleteSure we know what it takes to create a garden! Lots of work, but rewarding. I am curious what planting follows up in your new flower bed.
ReplyDeleteI haven't decided yet what will be in that bed. I'd really love lavender planted there, but I don't think they would do well in our clay soil. So, I haven't quite decided. I probably won't plant anything there until next spring, and that will give me plenty of time to dream and plan.
DeletePrepping a new bed is the hardest gardening task of all, I think. I like your method of getting rid of grass. It's probably better for the soil, too, because the grass must decompose beneath the cardboard, adding all kinds of good organic matter. (You owe it to the earth to de-sod the easy way!) What fun to have a blank slate now. And ooh la la -- look at those beautifully poured concrete fittings!
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how dark and rich the soil gets when the cardboard and mulch decays in a year or so. And thanks for the compliment on the concrete fittings! I am so proud of them! :)
DeleteHolley, it's a hard work for hot summer. Might be better to continue this work in the fall?
ReplyDeleteYes, if I were patient, I would wait until fall to do these projects. It would be a much smarter thing to do. But, I'm just too impatient, I guess!
DeleteThanks for showing the work behind the scenes. After digging out grass in my yard and trying the cardboard method like yours I can see why you would go for the shortcut. The cardboard and mulch is definitely much easier. Plus it helps to enrich the soil too.
ReplyDeleteYes, the cardboard method is much, much easier. I always get some grass growing back, but I would probably get some even if I were to dig it out just from some leftover roots.
DeleteI admire all your hard work Holley! Grass removal is never a fun project but it sure is satisfying. Thanks for the tip on the cardboard. I've heard to use newspaper but not cardboard. Hope you had a happy 4th!
ReplyDeleteCardboard just breaks down slower. I've used newspaper, but it seems to break down before the grass completely dies. I have used it in other areas that just have weeds and not grass, though, with good success.
DeleteIt looks great! I hate pulling up the grass, too. Such a pain in the butt! Pretty soon you'll have no grass left. :o)
ReplyDeleteI certainly know why some gardeners tear all their grass out! Not sure I'll ever have all of mine out, though!
DeleteA three and a half hour gardening session ? Now I know why your garden looks like that and mine doesn't.
ReplyDeleteDid you read the sentence that says "I'm slow"? :) My garden would look much better if I were to stick with one project. I always seem to jump around. I thought by having to write it down, I might actually finish some of those undone projects!
DeleteCardboard is great. I've used it for lasagna gardening.
ReplyDeleteI don't know who came up with this, but they were genius!
DeleteTo have half of your ambition for my garden in hot weather (or cool), or even my "day job"! I like your method of creating a planting bed, and around here, those into organic gardening often layer cardboard or newspapers over months to kill Bermudagrass...usually works. Well, I best get to it!
ReplyDeleteI like the layering to get rid of the grass, too. It's easier, although it's hard to be patient enough to wait the months needed to kill the grass!
DeleteOh man! I know how hard you worked, and in this heat, too! I've got an area in my bed that I'm going to rework this fall. I'm not looking forward to it, but at least the temperature will be better! I'm going to use the newspaper and leaves method of reworking a bed.
ReplyDeleteI hope your project goes well. I had not been looking forward to doing this one, but once I started, it wasn't as bad as I had imagined!
DeleteVery nice, Holley! I've used newspaper and mulch in the past and it works well, too. That Rose is a winner. I like the idea of showing the work. I'm always worried about getting my camera dirty, but with a little hand-washing in between, it wouldn't be too much trouble. Great project--keep us posted as the plants start to grow. :)
ReplyDeleteI rarely take pictures during projects, because I don't want to stop and take the time to do it! And yes, projects are always so very messy! I hope the rose will really take off, now that I've got it in the ground!
DeleteI think any gardener knows that the work never really stops. You've taken on a fairly big job and managed to get it done very quickly. Well done.
ReplyDeleteYou're right - the work never really stops. I think we all like it that way!
DeleteI love Gruss an AAchen but I've tried it twice and it wont winter over here in CT. New Dawn - great choice - love her too! I have used your method to start new raised beds - I use thick newspaper rather than cardboard. My friend (her blog is Let There Be Garden) talks a lot about this method of starting a new bed - works SO well for her too.
ReplyDeleteGood going!!
So sorry to hear about your failures with Gruss an Aachen. It's such a pretty rose. Glad to hear good things about New Dawn. After I bought her, I was worried - all I heard was how thorny she was!
DeleteHolley this was a great post. It is hard work what we do. I was in the heat and humidity for an hour and a half just pulling weeds and it was grueling. The garden looks 80% better and once I get in to a bit more it will be done...some movement in the fall of plants and maybe it will finally be done. But as you say the hard work is daily or every day I am off since I have to start in early AM. So for 2-3 hours as my knee holds out, I work out in the garden...I tried laying paper and soil but the grass is too strong so i have to hand pull every year. I know how hard it is especially when it is dry. I love that rose and the bed it will be in...
ReplyDeleteI agree with you - the grass is one of the hardest things to get rid of. Even with this method, you have to be diligent in getting any little sprigs that come up - and there will be lots of them! Otherwise, it's back to square one. I know because I'm there in several areas of my garden. :(
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