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CottageGarden
nominate your own title
Iowa, USA
Mission Accomplished!7 May '06 2:01 pm
What a great day in the garden! 
As planned, I spent most of the day in the grass bed we expanded earlier this spring. this area was grassy, and sloped. So when I started talking about making it a little bigger to accomodate more native grasses, Kevin suggested we expand it alot.... and do away with having to mow the slope.... Who am I to argue with a man who proposes bigger flower beds? 
When we did the initial work we covered the area with landscape fabric and a thick layer of shredded leaves to help kill out any remaining grass or weeds.... I prefer this method over using chemicals. Anyway.... I picked today to finish the project....
Now the first picture is what the bed looked like before we started this morning.... but it was actually taken several weeks ago. You can see that the Pompas Grass had not started growing yet when it was taken.
We removed all of the landscape fabric, but left about half the shredded leaves to break down and feed the soil. Then we palnted the new plants.... 3 Fountain Grasss, 3 Festuca grass, 3 Millet (an annual here), 4 of some generic grass thats also an annual here, and 5 white coneflowers to add a little color. Now, aside from the annual grasses, and the established Pompas Grass, you really can't see the rest in the "after" photos. You can tell where they are planted if you look at the photo with the newspapers laid down because they are the bare spots. LOL .... I'll take more pics as the season progresses so we can track how much its grown....
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New bed finished.... From South End
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New Bed finished.... From North corner
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In progress... Newspapers to keep weeds and grass from coming back!
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This what the area looked like when we started this morning.
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moosey
head gardener
You Legend7 May '06 6:15 pm
You are a legend, Cottage Garden! I love to see someone else doing that newspaper thing - that's what I do. It's great that you have had a good gardening day!
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CottageGarden
nominate your own title
Iowa, USA
8 May '06 12:36 am
LOL.... I am no legend... I used to be one of those gardeners that turned to chemicals for nearly everything... Then I got wise. I learned the newspaper trick from a fellow garden a few years ago and love it! I thought everyone used newspapers and I was the last to find out about it! LOL.
For those who aren't familiar with using newspapers for weed control, here's how it works..... When you're working in a new or exsisting bed you can lay down about 6 layers of newspapers between plants. Wet the pages with the hose as you go so they stay in place. Then hide the newspaper with 2-3" of mulch. The newspaper blocks the sunlight... without sunlight nothing grows... like weeds. Because the ink used to print the newspaper is now made from soy oil it is safe for the environment. Over the course of a couple of years the newspaper breaks down and becomes orgainc matter.
HEY! I forgot to show you the pile of mulch I had delivered! I was buying mulch in the bag, and it was EXTREMELY expensive. I was always on the hunt for sales trying to save a couple of bucks. Recently a friend told me that the local tree removal company will sell you a huge load of mulch, delivered to you, for $30.... In England that would be about the same as 20 pounds, roughly, I think. Anyway... its a real deal here!
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Here's the pile of mulch they delivered... Its nearly as big as my truck!
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jacqueline
Thankful Gardener
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Re: Mission Accomplished!9 May '06 9:11 pm
Hi C/Garden,
Happy to know that you had a great Sunday as planned and "playing with dirt" as you wished so very much 
Thanks for sharing about the newspaper method to control weeds! Can it be used in potted plants, maybe just a layer of small pieces to cover the surface area? Any advice will be great, thanks!
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CottageGarden
nominate your own title
Iowa, USA
9 May '06 11:22 pm
I don't think I'd use it in potted plants as it migh inhibit the natural growth of the plant.... at least thats my guess. But your potted plants shouldn't have weeds in them.... where are you getting your potting mix? And are you sure they are weeds and not new shoots from the plant?
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jacqueline
Thankful Gardener
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Weeds!10 May '06 8:55 pm
| Quote: | | And are you sure they are weeds and not new shoots from the plant? |
Dear C/Garden, you really made me chuckle with this remark!
They are definitely not new shoots from the plant but are weeds and some other self-seeding plants which are not wanted as companions!
However, I think you're right that the newspapers may inhibit the growth of the potted plants! So, I'd just continue removing the weeds, etc manually as usual - after all, it's not that much of a chore in this small garden of mine! Occassionally these 'foreigners' turn out to be prized ones too! (I've managed to salvage some nice young palms and other flowering annuals amidst my potted plants!)
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CottageGarden
nominate your own title
Iowa, USA
10 May '06 11:02 pm
I was just checking, Jacqueline!
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CottageGarden
nominate your own title
Iowa, USA
I've been trapped in the house again....17 May '06 12:08 am
The weather here has been AWFUL! Normally at this time of year I am in the garden every day... enjoying bright sunshine and warm weather. The last couple of weeks here have been terrible.... rain nearly everyday... too cold for planting anything.... Just awful.
The good news is that the weather has finally broke and (beginning today) the forcasters are saying that its going to get back into our normal weather.... I am SO! glad!! My kitchen table in covered with plants that I purchased over the weekend and I'm dying to get them into thier new homes!
I picked up several annuals to fill pots, and a few perennials to add to the garden inventory. Here in the states, we can buy what we call 6-pack annuals. There are 6 plants in a container that has a planting cell for each plant..... Are those available elsewhere as well? I love to buy annuals that way! You get 6 plants for a couple of bucks.... can't beat that.
I've been watching my pennies very closely for the last few months so that I would have my little "garden savings account" for spring.... Then tragedy hit! I have a pretty nice vehicle.... its a little older (1998), but its in excellent condition and well maintained, so I've hung on to it. Well, I was driving back to work yesterday after lunch... going along just fine.... UNTIL! It chugged once... coughed once... and DIED! I was mortified!!!!! All I could see was my precious gardening money being spent on repairs!! 
As some of you know, I work for a car dealership, so I hit send on my cell phone.... they towed in my car (at no charge, of course!) and straight into the shop it went. Well, the damages weren't as bad as I expected.... so after replacing a distributor cap we're off and running again... And my gardening money was left unscaved..... Kevin decided that he would stop in yesterday afternoon.... And being the gentleman that he is.... He paid for my car repair so that I would not have to sacrifice any of my gardening money for the repair. True love really is grand.....
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CottageGarden
nominate your own title
Iowa, USA
17 May '06 12:11 am
Did I mention that I will probably be in the market for a newer vehicle soon?.... (sigh)... LOL.
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CottageGarden
nominate your own title
Iowa, USA
Iris's in bloom...21 May '06 12:11 am
I am so happy to see my Iris's doing so well this year.
I transplanted these from my late father's acreage 2 years ago. They bloomed last year, but were rather small with few flowers. It looks like they've finally settled in and are going great guns.... These were among my father's favorite flowers because they reminded him of his mother who loved Iris's....
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