I’ve never worked harder in my garden than I have these past two weeks. I’m outside every free moment I get; heat and humidity and endless downpours be damned.
It’s exhausting but I love it.
Ideally I would’ve kept up with things on a semi-regular basis but you know; family, kids, vacations and life tend to get in the way.
I’m nowhere near done but thought I’d share some of the results with you today as a means for you to help me keep going. The majority of the work so far has been weed pulling and I guess I should be thankful for all the rain; it makes weed removal that much easier when the soil isn’t bone dry.
So here are some pics for your viewing pleasure. Some of the photo quality isn’t where I like it, but I couldn’t wait for the right lighting to take many of these. That’s not the purpose any way.
I’d like to think I’ll be able to take some killer photos as we head into September when this garden is popping with awesomeness and early fall color.
At least I can dream. It keeps me going.
Not only have I meticulously cleaned out the bed that runs along the front of my home, I’ve also done the same with the walkway. Every freakin weed was pulled by hand and I vow to now control them through a natural weed spray I’ve concocted.
A big part of the front bed clean-up was cleaning up the six Catmint (Nepeta) plants. I trimmed them all back aggressively and they’ve all bounced back within no time.
Here is an example of one pre-haircut.
It’s embarrassing to admit it and I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ve always been bad with maintaining a deer prevention strategy. Call it lazy or call it giving up too easily, there’s still no excuse for the lack of effort.
Well no more. I’m regularly spraying and experimenting with different options. This has allowed for blooms on the Sedum ‘Matrona’ for the first time in years.
And the Hydrangea ‘Lady in Red’ has been allowed to round into form without nibbles up and down the front of the shrub.
Now I remember why I planted it in the first place. That leaf color is fantastic.
One negative discovered here. While the deer had been pruning this Redtwig Dogwood back regularly all spring.
It has also been hit by the dreaded Dogwood Sawfly Larvae. They’ve nibbled the leaves quite a bit and my only means of addressing it so far has been to allow the pounding rain to wash them off the shrub. Ugh.
Don’t laugh, but while this section of the front garden takes care of itself these days since there is little room for weed growth, the addition of the black wrought iron post thingy really adds to its overall appeal. Right? Please tell me I’m right.
One other thing with this section of garden while I’m at it. It’s loaded with Veronica ‘Royal Candles’ that quickly bloomed like mad but then wore down quickly. I cut them all down to the ground and within a week or so, they are all on their way back.
Moving on.
While I love the large river stones under the basketball hoop here, I think I’m enjoying the lack of weed worry here more than anything else.
This looks like a simple patch of Sweet Flag but you have no idea what it took to clean these up. They weren’t visible from all the weeds that had inundated their surroundings. I wish I had taken the before pic.
I shared with you on a prior post how I had moved these white coneflowers to this spot. I still like it. They were meant to be here.
The Joe Pye Weed in this section are smaller than in season’s past because you guessed it: f’n deer. They’ve stayed away for the time being (don’t get lazy John, don’t get lazy John) and they’ll look even better as the Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’ come to life behind them.
You wouldn’t know it, but the JPW and ML were surrounded by the weed that has become the bane of my existence these days: Japanese Stilt Grass. I pulled it by hand for a good two hours in this area alone.
But more on that weed in a future post. I need to dive into this one in detail.
Moving to the backyard.
Hours of weed clearance and relocating of plants that didn’t work here and we ended up with a good amount of open earth. Me no like open earth.
If you look closely enough, you can see that I divided a bunch of Bee Balm and added the new divisions here. They should fill in rather quickly with a sweet pop of color and critter activity. Best part of all: the new plants cost nothing.
I freed up a lot of available plant real estate along the front of this section as well and I’m still in the process of determining what to add here.
Side note: I dug out a section of the lawn to fit in large pavers for a fire pit (Photos to come once completed). All of the large stones in the photo above were found during that dig. That sums up our soil perfectly. It’s why it doesn’t drain well.
I’m really annoyed that I again, didn’t take a before photo with the section of garden below because it was fugly. Look back on my original garden tour video here to see just how bad it had become.
Again, the main culprit here was the Japanese Stilt Grass. As was the out of control Hardy Ageratum (which many of you warned me about).
A good four hours was spent here just to be able to again reveal the Lady’s Mantle and other assorted perennials and shrubs. Now we fill in all of the gaps.
A true before shot below. Also taken over by the JSG, as I now like to call it.
Hours of pulling and yanking (which is relatively easy with JSG by the way) and we end up with this.
Even more of a blank canvas to work with which is exciting and overwhelming.
Because I have enough newly designated blank slates to contend with still. Like this one that I’ve only now begun to fill.
More to come.
Fun.
Exhausting.
Rewarding.
Overwhelming.
It occurs to me that your shredded bark/wood chip mulch isn’t doing your garden soil any favors. Wood chips, shredded wood, etc. does zero for soil nutrition. Perhaps consider something like “Sweet Peet”, a branded organic leaf mold combined with lots of organic compost. I use it as mulch and after a number of years, my soil is like chocolate cake; I don’t really have to use shovels to dig any more. Most big nurseries carry a similar type of rich naturally dark brown mulch, without the black dyes by the way, that breaks down into rich, crumbly soil in a year. Lay it on thickly and you’ll do more to control your weed problem than any spray, natural or otherwise.
Great point Tracy! I’ve actually stopped using that mulch as of this year and I’m super intrigued by the “Sweet Peet”. I’ll have to check it out now. Thanks so much!!
I don’t mulch either. Compost only! Well done, John! That’s incredible progress. It’s been disgusting here and so hard to stay motivated working in 100% humidity day after day, but I did spread 5 yards of compost on a new border expansion and plant 80% of it this week–very exciting! Love your Joe Pye Weed and grasses. Keep going!
Thanks Bill! Good to hear you’re out in the heat pushing on as well.
I’m assuming you refused all potty breaks and eating. I’m in Oklahoma and the summer has been horrendous as well. You have done an amazing job and I just wanted to give you the old pat on the back, thumbs up, and the atta boy you deserve. Keep up the good work and you will be glad. Yes, Virginia, it is all worth it (said Santa).
I just wear Depends and drink water. Ha. Thanks for the support!!
Looks good. No doubt that you did the hard work. What kind of natural weed spray are you using.Vinegar?
Yes, vinegar and dish soap Raymond. So far so good.
I have to admit that the heat and humidity of July and the August deluges have almost defeated me. My gardens are very overgrown right now. I remain hopeful that I will be able to spend more time getting things the way I want them.
With fall right around the corner it has to cool down right Mary? Then we can really save our gardens.
Same here, Mary…. Being 52, perimenopausal, and pretty close to bursting into flames as it is, I just refuse to work outside. So I have accepted that the weeds have won for now. In the fall, I will work like hell to get things more in shape for next year.
Looking good John. Just a thought … I know Deer are a pain where the sun-don’t-shine. Just thinking of possible solutions … a noisemaker that activates with a tripwire of sorts? You could use the sounds of wolves growling … unnerve them to the point of moving on. Maybe get yourself a large dog or wolf that moves/growls when sensors are activated. Maybe buy two stuffed deer-heads, put them side-by-side on poles, & put out an empty 3rd pole as a warning? I was going to suggest light-sensors but deer don’t fear light, they’re happy to ‘be in the headlights”. A noise of a shotgun blast WILL scare ’em, but will scare half the neighborhood too & you’ll wind up in front of a Judge by morning.
You are too funny. I keep laughing imagining me setting up deer heads on a pole. These ideas need their own post. Ha.
WOW! you have been busy! What fun and so rewarding. Your garden beds look amazing. A job well done, be proud!
For your dear deer problem – have you ever heard of Milorganite? It is processed human manure – no smell other than to the deer. They smell humans and leave things alone, and it does add nutrients to the soil. It is little granules and I spread it with a hand held fertilizer spreader. It lasts quite awhile, but with all your rain this year you may have to spread it more often than I do, and it is relatively inexpensive.
Keep up the good work, and here in the Red River valley of ND I would be excited if I found a rock in the soil, even just a stone!
Thanks so much Kay! Looking into Milorganite now. Sounds promising.
Nice.
Thanks Chuck!
I had been looking forward to your progress in dealing with your weeds .Good job! I know how hard it is to be out there in the heat for hours.I had been constantly weeding in between rains and I’m not done yet.I hope the neighbors don’t complain.I will be retiring soon
and can’t wait to be out and about in my little garden in Central Florida.You have a beautiful garden.
Thanks so much Vilma! Best of luck in your retirement!