Saturday 6 April 2013

How NOT to landscape

The area, having been defined by the removal of grass, is readied for the raised beds. Hopefully, there will be 5 beds, two large, two small, and a long skinny bed for climbing vegetables, over there, along the fence where the ladders are.

In 2010-2011, the previous owners had cut down a massive fig tree, the trunk of which still dominates this area, both above and below ground. The roots are think and entwined around the roots of other plants. Darren continually encounters trees and bushes cut off at ground level and removed no further. Most frustrating.

Over near the brick wall can be seen the buttress roots of the fig. We have issues with how to accommodate this. However, note that the soil is loamy, rather than predominantly sand or clay. And, we should have enough to fill all the beds that we install, especially after we add compost and manure.

5 comments:

Joan Elizabeth said...

Aw I am feeling tired looking at all this industy. I thought the idea of raised garden beds was that you didn't have to dig anything!!

I will follow this garden with interest.

Julie said...

6mmm .... I did too. But the sheet (and gardening sites) suggest that you dig them into the ground by about 2 corrugations.

There is a lot of work just now, hard work, but our aim is to be able to plant by August. However, once I am happy with the quality of the soil in the first bed, I will plant it up. Have to work out my rotations and my companion plantings first.

head in the sun said...

Check this out!!!
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/21/garden/grasping-at-straw-a-foolproof-vegetable-plot.html?smid=fb-share&_r=2&

Jo said...

Found this blog this morning and loving it! Now my morning schedule is behind..
As we are looking to buy our first home with the dream of veggies I think I am going to learn a lot from you here.
Also love how the cats are in the background in the photos, a true family..

MargaretP said...

Oh no, big stumps are a pain !
cover it with thick compost and black plastic, keep moist and it will rot...eventually.You could also drill some big fat holes in it and make a garden bed over it,the dirt bugs will then help it rot away over time.