Experimenting with Mulch

 Shredded Newspaper and Peat Moss Mulch

It is always fun to try new ideas and techniques in the garden. I remember years ago I tried this when we lived in our century home and the following year the garden soil was like sifted flour.   I would only use this on the flower beds because I am using shredded paper and I don't want the ink leaching into the vegetables I will ingest. Be aware that  this will also acidify your soil.

So I begin by double digging the areas between the plants to break up the soil and kill any weeds. A little dose of bone meal and Epsom salts worked in helps too.The plants really like this aerating the soil around their roots and it also helps pulling weeds later on because the soil is not compacted. I only do this once a year because it is such a back breaking job. I tend to have a lot of refuse from the previous year's garden (dead stalks, etc. from the perennials) so while digging I often "cheat" and bury all that below ground level. It is all clean organic matter. ALL weeds are removed and disposed of. I never turn weeds over in the garden because they will re-root or re-seed themselves. 

It is hard to hold a watering can and a camera at the same time

Once the soil is worked fine I lay a layer of shredded paper over the entire area to be mulched. It is a good idea not to do this on a windy day! I saved shreds from our paper shredder all year just for this job. All those credit card applications, junk mail, and old receipts are now worm fodder. That somehow feels really good.

Now this is the important part. Water and saturate the paper completely before laying the peat moss down. If you would mulch using peat moss only it would become compact once it dries and it becomes a thick barrier that water can not easily penetrate. So you totally saturate the shredded paper under the peat moss layer, and this in turn keeps the peat moss moist and pliable.  

Once all the paper is wet, lay a two inch layer of peat moss over the paper. I pat it down to even out the lumps and give it another light watering. The wet paper will remain damp laying over the soil under the peat moss and will keep it pliable. The plants will like this moisture retaining treatment too!

This area is now finished and ready for the growing season. I am anxious to see the results to all this. I typically use dried grass clippings for mulch but after it dries out in the beds it really doesn't look that great. And it will compact itself down so that the rain water has a hard time seeping through. It will heat up so you need to be careful not to put it too close to tree trunks. And it must be put down in repeated layers or it will mold so it has its pros and cons. 

My climbing roses were bit this year from the hard winter we had. I trimmed off the dead canes and it is rejuvenating nicely. Unfortunately there will be no blooms this year.  

Does anyone have any idea what you can do with those old rose canes? I usually just chop them up and throw them away. I don't want to bury them because next year when I double dig they will still have the potential for being man eaters! They don't break down like other twigs.

I braided and tied down the spent daffodils. They can begin to look unkempt so this tidy's them up until they turn brown and I bury them. 





The next site I worked on I ran out of paper clippings so I shredded some newspapers and used them instead. Ewww what a mess! But it works - honest.

Again, I completely wet it down and covered with peat moss. Now this area is ready for a fairy or two to visit. Can't you imagine them sitting on top of the flowering onions and playing hide and seek with those hiding behind the lolly-pop tree?

A few Johnny Jump-ups to be transplanted here and it will be complete. I'll need my little assistants, "Olive Heartfly" and "Buttercup Pepperwand" to help arrange things. They have a special wonder with fairies. Did you know that fairies are born when a baby laughs? 


I worked the other side to this L shaped garden but did not take any more photos. I divided the Stella Dora daylilies and the Lady's Mantle. And the Asclepias incarnata 'Ice Ballet' or Swamp Milkweed was dug up and will be moved to the back garden. Asclepias are easy to grow perennials that are drought tolerant and attract butterflies. Every garden should have some.

My UFO Challenge is still calling me from the sewing room. I hope to be there soon. I am nearing another finish once the binding is completely applied and sewn down.

 
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Discouraging news

We were wondering why our Corylus avellena 'Contorta' (corkscrew hazelnut, or Harry Lauder's Walking Stick) was not leafing out this spring.
We had a hard and cold winter this past year and at first we thought that was the cause, but when we looked closer we found all these cankers. They are covering 70 - 80% of the plant so I am afraid it must come down. 

I will definitely be looking for a replacement. I love the silhouette of these shrubs. Especially in winter when the knarly branches are so showy in the snow. 

This was an especially nice plant because all the years we had it, it never grew up any suckers. 







Another shrub that is giving me grief is my Korean Lilac. She has grown to be 8 foot tall and nearly 10 feet wide but an area on one side is dying off. 

I'll have to prune this out with the hopes that it will come back. She is nearly 12 years old and was given to me on Mother's Day by our daughter.

 

The asparagus bed is producing nicely. We are cutting nearly every day. And because we all love this vegetable none goes to waste!

Look at all those nubs! We have already cut a lot and more keep coming up - overnight it seems. Included there is a second year parsley plant that will go to seed this year (biannual). In the fall we will top dress this bed with compost to ensure a good crop again next year.

A fresh batch all washed and trimmed - ready to eat. I do not peel my asparagus. It is so tender it is really not needed. I just steam them until tender and enjoy with butter. So easy, healthy and free!!

My False Indigo is doing well again this year. I had to cut some of it out because it became so big last year it grew over the edging and killed the grass. I like to keep an "air barrier" between the house and the shrubs also. 

She is beginning to bloom already and will continue to bloom for another 5-6 weeks. The seed pods are really pretty too and can be used in dried arrangements. I'll have to pinterest this for some unique ideas. 

False Indigo is of the genus Baptisia and all parts of this plant  is poisonous. It is really an easy plant to grow once it is established. It does not like to be transplanted so find a spot for it and leave it alone. It will last for decades.

You can see from last year's picture how big this plant can get. It was quite a fight to cut out some of its roots so hopefully it will behave a for a few years before it needs to be thinned out again!

It reseeds itself also so I have to keep those in check. Overall this plant is so pretty the entire growing season that it is worth the effort. The stalks die off in late fall and makes its own mulch for the winter.

I have not had the chance to weed the corner perennial bed yet. The flowering onions, Johnson Blue geraniums, and creeping phlox are all in bloom. Soon the Japanese Iris and peonies will be blooming. 

I am anxious to explore and see what may have seeded from last year. I am sure I will find some cosmos and zinnias. 

The roses got bit over the winter too. All new stalks are growing so there will be no flowers or hips this year but I am glad they did not die from the cold. We should have covered them.

The apple trees have been pruned and sprayed, the garden is tilled and ready to plant, the side and back beds have been mulched, the yews and burning bushes have been cut back. I've been busy and hope to catch up soon so I can get back in the sewing room! 

 

I love the way the raindrops rest on the velvety leaves of Lady's Mantle. I believe there are fine hairs on the leaves that allow it to hold droplets of water. It is a very carefree plant that self seeds so I often have extras to give away. It flowers tiny chartreuse flowers and makes a nice companion to roses and daylilies but mine just grow wherever they pop up.

May is a busy month here in Zone 5.  It cuts into my sewing time but I love working outdoors in the fresh air, don't you? 

I'll have a finish to report soon though. Not all time has been spent outdoors.