What I want to say is this:
The above picture will probably change seasonally, so anytime progress is made in our garden I’ll change that pic, along with adding a few so you can SEE what’s going down–the Grim Way.
So, to start. We have a pile of mulch out front from a local mulch yard* (owners are terrific). We are planning to use this to fix some of our “aesthetic” landscaping problems out front, as it has been neglected. We’ve resolved ourselves to the notion that the average plant will not survive in a place so well neglected, so we’ll mulch & add compost to repair the years of damage caused by our uncaring-ness.
I mention this to say that we will most likely plant more of the hardier things that so far HAVE managed to survive. I’ve used a plural here, when really what I mean is Thyme. We will plant more thyme out front. AND we will be also mulching our existing garden beds, which you can see in the above picture are “resting” & composting things like corn-starch packing peanuts & orange rinds. We LOVE the compost method of gardening, which means little weeding and nutritious & moist soil for our produce.
If you don’t have beds already, I’ll post more info on that later. We’re adding more beds this year, they’ll come even closer to our patio which will make our “kitchen garden” even more accessible–a key to making gardening fun.
Another note before the season really begins…first time beds need preparation. You can certainly just till up a spot, but this will generally require more weeding & close attention during the hottest months-the time you LEAST want to be outdoors.
So, goal #1:
Preparing for beds.
*Acquire untreated lumbers deep & long enough to construct your beds out of.
*Make certain you pay attention to the path of the sun & that this spot will receive at least 8 hours of sunlight a day)
*Measure off the sections of your lawn you want to use. (use steaks to mark)
*Remember to actually measure your spots & don’t make them so big you can’t reach the middle parts easily.
If you’re building raised beds, tilling is not necessary, but killing the grass is a great idea. To do this WITHOUT the use of herbicides is easy. Gather up black & white newspaper and spread it out many sheets thick on the garden area you’ve selected. Soak this newspaper with the hose & leave it until you’re ready to pile on your compost/mulch/etc. This is a terrific method of smothering out the unwanted grass that could grow back up through your prepared beds.
*mulch is also available at Guilford County Dump for $20/ton, but a truck or something is necessary. They will deliver at a cost. For more info check out page 9
P.S. If you Would like to reserve a spot at Greensboro’s 1st Community Garden located in historic Glenwood Neighborhood–or like to get involved–email me for a registration form & more info.
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