The new edge of the bed in the front yard- we’ll be adding some compost and lots of mulch.
Most people who know me would agree, that I don’t seem like the kind of person who would pound stakes into the ground, stretch out string between them, and then follow that string as a guide when making the edge of a garden bed. I was a s surprised as anyone when I found myself doing just that this afternoon.
Yesterday evening, I was cleaning up the edge of the area where we took out the junipers (link) and I used the garden hose to kind of make a gently curving, voluptuous edge, nipping it in close to the faucet, easing it out near the corner of the house.
Then I thought about mowing that line. I thought about all the other curvy, sensual edges in the yard that have to be mowed, then edged. I decided it would be easier to make a straight edge, and let the plants be curvy.
The bed is about 20 feet long, and the outer line is 8 feet out from the house wall. (when I said I was going to make the bed about 8 feet deep, DH had a moment where he thought I meant 8 feet from current ground level to top of bed. No.) I bought 40 brick pavers, because I didn’t want to get out the measuring tape and then do math, so of course I have to pay for my laziness with another trip to the big box store.
So, the plan:
buy more bricks
when there’s grass inside the line, pop it out and transplant it outside the line, when possible
pile on 2-4 inches of shredded wood mulch
when the weather cools, start transplanting the plants I want to move from the backyard
order bulbs
snake soaker hose around the bed
Plant list
Hazel bush (transplanted from nursery bed)
Sedum Autumn Joy (thanks, Sharon!)
Purple coneflower (divided from back yard)
Bearded Iris (divided from back yard)
Yarrow (divided from back yard)
Lamb’s Ear (divided from back yard)
Thyme (divided from back yard)
Comfrey (divided from back yard)
larkspur (seeds)
columbine (seeds)
lily (ordering- probably dark reds and oranges)
tulips (ordering, probably red and yellow triumph)
daffodil (basic yellow)
Most of these plants I already have, so this is a very cheap design for me. I also know they do well here, so I am not taking much risk that everything will keel over and die. The exposure is a little different- the north end of the bed is pretty shaded from the ash tree and the house, and the south end gets morning sun. The coneflower and lilies will go that direction, because they need the light to flower. My “largish” plant is a hazel nut bush, and I want it to form one corner of a triangle with the ash and the Korean dwarf lilac under my window.
The plan for the tuteur- the exact measurements will depend on the wood I find.
I am also planning some structure- as you can see in the picture, there is a big expanse of plain wall, so I will put in at least one trellis, and some containers, and am thinking about building some tutuers, which are french teepees- using lumber,rather than round wood or sticks. And, you know my policy, it should be done with the wood that is already piled up, going to the lumberyard is cheating! There are still some 1×2′s sitting behind the garage left over from taking down the playhouse, so I will start with those.
