Frank still thinks I’m nuts, but I worked my tail off today putting in that new bed where the lilacs I planted aren’t going to make it. I think it is probably twenty feet long, and it entailed much digging up of sod and dirt, hauling of much crap, and generally hard, physical labor. I got sunburned and exhausted, but did it all myself while Frank worked on getting the spot for the bees cleared in back.
I’m going to try to lasagna garden this new bed. I took all of the sod at the edge of the drive, dug it up and turned it over onto where the new bed will be. My hands are all covered in blisters, even wearing gloves, but I got it all done in the morning. Then in the afternoon, I put bags and bags of coffee grounds, cardboard, shredded paper and kitchen scraps, then covered it all really deeply with pine bark mulch. Here’s hoping it’ll work. I don’t need to put anything in this bed, though I might put the glads here for some instant color. What I really want here are lilacs and maybe spring bulbs, and not much else.
At some point, I need to redo the two ends of the new bed, but I’m not ready for that yet. I hate both of them, and they now look like one long bed, but they are so weedy and filled with crap the landscaper put in four years ago, and it’s going to take more time and effort than I have now to re-do them. Maybe later this year.
I think a short little stone wall would finish it all up nicely. I wonder if I can get Kevin to do it for me?
Frank decided on the spot for the bees, in back, where we will be able to sit in the gazebo and watch them. He used the blade on the weed-whacker to cut down the brush, put down some black plastic, and put down two wooden pallets, theoretically getting them as level as possible. A lot more brush cutting is in order, but we have a plan and place, at least.
