GARDEN RE-DO...

 

Today I had some chores planned, most of which involved working in the yard. Having recently had surgery, this was a HUGE undertaking and I would never have been able to do it had it not been for the muscle and help of my son, Ross. We worked for 4 solid hours and then I was absolutely wiped-out. I still haven't recovered. Although I am extremely happy to have accomplished something on the to-do list, I am hoping that I didn't overdo by pushing myself too far.

 

Since last year I've been working toward making my yard water-wise; landscaping with native plants which are drought resistant and require very little additional watering throughout the brutal summers for which Dallas and Texas are know.

 

Last year I planted a red yucca which I dug up at my sister's house. It has done very well in this rock garden area by the curb. As you can see, this year it is blossoming. Today I planted a Flame Red salvia greggii (another draw for butterflies and hummingbirds) and some Mexican feather grass to fill in the area a bit more. Will be adding more similar plants as time (or budget) allows. I will also be doing native plant beds/gardens across the front yard so there is nothing but gardens and paths. It is a slow process.

 

Last year I had some trees trimmed in my front yard. One of the red oak trees was planted by a squirrel and was interfering with the growth of another red oak (yes, a native tree) so I asked that it be cut down. Rather than cut to the ground and then require a stump grinder, I asked that the trunk remain about 5-6 feet high. I planted a trumpet vine (hummingbird magnet; native plant) next to the tall stump and will train the vines to cling to the tree.

Now for the real garden re-do. I have 2 new raised beds (again, thanks to help from Ross) that were made with the intention of growing nothing but vegetables. Thinking I knew what I was doing, I bought a load of dirt from a respected soil/mulch retailer in the vicinity. In retrospect, I made a huge mistake. I bought soil that wasn't very conducive to vegetable gardens (despite what I'd read on the website of the soil place) or else when I drove back through the soil lot I ended up with the wrong dirt, because this soil was too sandy and dense. It supposedly had 50% composted material to 50% soil mix, but I think the sand was about 80%.

Beginning in January, I started planting veggies at the appropriate time. January was for onions; March was time for tomatoes. Lettuce was planted in February.

Here we are at mid-April and the tomatoes have done absolutely NO growing at all. I revisited the equally reputable nursery where I purchased the tomatoes to again go over the proper conditions for the plants that I'd been instructed in a tomato-growing class I'd attended. I had protected the vegetation in the colder nights, had fertilized when the initial planting was done, kept the moisture applied consistently, and more.

Yesterday I stuck my finger into the soil to see if the ground was still moist. Oh, it was moist all right, but the sand content caused the soil to be so tightly packed that I could barely get my finger into the ground. Then I knew what was the problem and what I need to do.

The soil was too compacted and wasn't allowing air to the roots, nor was the soil loose enough for roots to spread out. I went to the DIY home improvement store and bought bags of composted material and cow manure. I carefully dug up the plants that were floundering, removed about half of the "bad" soil in each bed, mixed bags of composted soil and manure with the remaining dirt and then replanted the tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, green beans, red bell peppers, and strawberries. I left the lettuce, onions, and chives alone, figuring they would not withstand a major transplant. I am willing to write them off as a learning experience. Here are the newly re-planted gardens.

I added a couple varieties of lavender in the garden below. I still need to plant some squash, but I'm waiting to see if this new soil was the right prescription!

The soil that was removed from the raised beds (the "bad" soil) was put to use in another way. I have been using the old swing-set frame as a holder for bird feeders and hanging plants. If you are wondering about all the cardboard you see, I use that as weed barrier when I plant a new bed. It will eventually biodegrade, but in the meantime, the grass and weeds underneath will not be able to push through the cardboard. (It is also environmentally friendly in that I don't have to use harsh vegetation eradicating sprays that also cost a fortune... like RoundUp). The soil on top of the barrier is about 4-5 inches thick. I sprinkled native prairie grass and flower seeds indigenous to the ecological region in which Dallas is located - The Blackland Prairie. Lots of Little Bluestem, Buffalograss, Coneflowers, Eryngo, Lemon Mint, Evening Primrose, Indian Blanket, Gayfeather, and many more.

To make working in the raised beds a bit easier (and so the weeds and grasses between the 2 beds will not require mowing or removal), I re-purposed .... don't you wonder who came up with that synonym for "reuse"... several stepping stones I had at various locations around the yard. I am spreading decomposed granite between them so the surface is level and won't be muddy. Again, I employed the cardboard weed barrier trick.

And lastly, I saw these Spring Cactus plants at a nursery the other day and couldn't resist their bright colors. I bought one of each and put them in a pot... red, pink, orange. I hope they do well. They remind me of Christmas Cactus, which I enjoy seeing every winter.

That was enough work for one day!!

Until I recuperate from the activity.....