Although I look at it every day, I’ve just realized there is a hump running down the right side of my new bed in the making ( previous image, looking from house to street), that gets quite pronounced near the street. I’m doing some mild terraforming leveling the area. which is going to wipe much of the grass. I’ve also been trying to get rid of a mole, family of moles for a couple of years now. Is there any reason to welcome them to your yard? I know they eat bugs...and worms?April 2021 flower bed Project
This strip of yard, approx 6x35’, the wife wants to turn it into a wild flower bed. The idea is that wild flowers should be relatively rugged and not depend on regular water as there is no sprinkler system in this part of the yard. So you know who gets to do the brunt of the work.
Since we live in a community that has covenants, I decided to run this by the home owner Association who approved, but I said flowers and mulch, not specifically wild flowers which can seen unruly. So we’ll see what kind of reaction if any we get from them. Anyway in the picture I just scalped it with the lawn mower, and per Monty (Gardener’s World), I’ve started to vigorously rake it to expose the dirt, not supposed to remove all of the grass.
Today, I’ll buy a stack of pavers to define the property line which will be flush with the ground (already checked and got an ok from the neighbor. I really need to get this area raked and the seeds spread as it is getting late in the season to start such plants. You want them going before it gets stink’n hot. And I’m going to drop a border of crushed rock around it using landscaping edging to make the area look more defined and refined to counter any unruliness of the wild fires themselves.
This area will also get some tuffs of ornamental grass and 2 Acoma dwarf (white) Crepe Myrtle bushes, 7-10’, but we will prune them as they commonly are around here to resemble trees, pruning them up with a couple of main stalks In the bottom 6’ or so. Typically each year, they are topped And new growth is encouraged.
So has anyone worked with wild flowers? I was surprised that they are typically sewed in existing grasses, but that makes sense when you see them growing in the wild in pastures. Any suggestions?
www.wildlifetrusts.org
Update : project complete with 2 dwarf Acomo Crape Myrtle bushes to be shaped as trees, 3 decorative grasses, and wild flower seeds planted. Let’s see what happens.April 2021 flower bed Project
This strip of yard, approx 6x35’, the wife wants to turn it into a wild flower bed. The idea is that wild flowers should be relatively rugged and not depend on regular water as there is no sprinkler system in this part of the yard. So you know who gets to do the brunt of the work.
Since we live in a community that has covenants, I decided to run this by the home owner Association who approved, but I said flowers and mulch, not specifically wild flowers which can seen unruly. So we’ll see what kind of reaction if any we get from them. Anyway in the picture I just scalped it with the lawn mower, and per Monty (Gardener’s World), I’ve started to vigorously rake it to expose the dirt, not supposed to remove all of the grass.
Today, I’ll buy a stack of pavers to define the property line which will be flush with the ground (already checked and got an ok from the neighbor. I really need to get this area raked and the seeds spread as it is getting late in the season to start such plants. You want them going before it gets stink’n hot. And I’m going to drop a border of crushed rock around it using landscaping edging to make the area look more defined and refined to counter any unruliness of the wild fires themselves.
This area will also get some tuffs of ornamental grass and 2 Acoma dwarf (white) Crepe Myrtle bushes, 7-10’, but we will prune them as they commonly are around here to resemble trees, pruning them up with a couple of main stalks In the bottom 6’ or so. Typically each year, they are topped And new growth is encouraged.
So has anyone worked with wild flowers? I was surprised that they are typically sewed in existing grasses, but that makes sense when you see them growing in the wild in pastures. Any suggestions?
Wildflowers were rearing to go, in fact some seeds we are planting are popping virtually within 48 hours. April has been glorious, today in the 60s.Update : project complete with 2 dwarf Acomo Crape Myrtle bushes to be shaped as trees, 3 decorative grasses, and wild flower seeds planted. Let’s see what happens.
View attachment 4443
View attachment 4442
Landscaping finished, watching for wildflowers to pop.
Hopefully the straw bed will not adversely effect wildflower seeds.
They were put down first.
View attachment 4444
Acoma Crape Myrtle about 10’ tall will have to be pruned up for this narrow space.
balconygardenweb.com
Ferns are tough, have always been a favorite of mine. The housing development we lived in Minnesota (southern Twin Cites suburbs) I used to visit woodsy vacant lots about to be bulldozed to build a house and rescue the ferns for my own woodsy backyard.
some can be wimps though. my wife can't grow them in the house at all. orchids yes ferns no. well this fern growing in a orchid pot of courseInteresting article for anyone who might want to make a home made liquid fertilizer:
16 Best Free Homemade Liquid Fertilizer Recipes
Instead of using commercial ones, make these DIY Homemade Liquid Fertilizers easily at your home for amazing results!
Ferns are tough, have always been a favorite of mine. The housing development we lived in Minnesota (southern Twin Cites suburbs) I used to visit woodsy vacant lots about to be bulldozed to build a house and rescue the ferns for my own woodsy backyard.
No needles? Natural or genetically modified? Have some bad memories of prickly pears... SERE training, diving off a road to avoid an enemy patrol right into some cactus.
Ferns don’t like low humidity. In Minnesota we used to over winter our deck Boston ferns in the Dining Room West facing window and by the end of the winter, they were very sad. Outside, they are troopers.
not an issue here in portland and our house. I think too much light.
