Sunday, March 20, 2011

A perfect day

Today was beautiful! As I mentioned before, last night was a really late night so I got a late start today... as in a 1:30pm wake up from my dog. That never happens. I'm such an old woman these days and if I go out, I'm still home by 10:30 or 11 at the latest. It's pretty sad. But last night's occasion deserved it so I had a lot to get done once I was up!
I started with breakfast & then working in the garden. Here's what it unfortunately looked like when I started:
There were a lot of things to clean out but after about two hours it
looked a little better:
So now there's lots of planning to do! I'm working on a plot plan tonight but I'm also researching a few things that maybe you guys can help me out with: (and remember I'm on a budget ;)

1) What do you use for your garden fencing? I have been using the plastic fencing & metal stakes you can see above. The problem with this is that I noticed a few holes that have been chewed by some creatures. So I need suggestions! The reason I used the plastic was because it was flexible enough to be stapled into the ground without any gaps. Any advice is appreciated!

2) How do you keep the grass out of your garden? It absolutely drove me crazy last year and I'm looking forward to nipping it in the bud this time! Weed barrier fabric & mulch works really well but over time, I noticed the grass creeping back in. I have Bermuda which is capable of enduring the apocalypse & can grow roots that are literally miles long.

3) I'm thinking about putting a few raised beds along the outer sides of the garden this year. My herbs were started in pots on our patio but started shriveling quickly. As a last ditch effort, I planted them in the garden. They absolutely flourished and I had more basil than I knew what to do with! So I know I will never grow them in pots again but is an unprotected raised bed a bad idea? I'm not sure what kind of creatures will want to eat them...

I'll let you guys know what I find out about these issues! Until then - enjoy this beautiful start to spring!!
Posted by April Maglothin at 9:57 PM

2 comments:

  1. Heather @Gluten-Free CatMarch 21, 2011 at 7:08 AM

    I have absolutely no advice to give as I've only done container gardening on the deck. So I'll be learning from you! What a beautiful plot of land with so much potential!

    ReplyDelete
  2. matt WhitmanMarch 21, 2011 at 11:22 AM

    1) Chicken wire is fairly inexpensive and it's metal so no chewing will be involved. Its also the most flexible of the metal wire fencing. What it lacks in beauty it makes up for in the practical world.

    2) There will also be grass in an organic garden. The day you don't have other stuff growing out is the day your soil sucks. Mulching, remulching, and more remulching. You could also rent a sod cutter and cut all of the garden and the exterior out a few feet.

    3) Raise the basil out of rabbit reach and you should be fine.

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