Lasagna Gardening

By foraygardengirl
July 31, 2014

Start a new garden by planting right on top of your lawn!

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Jul 30, 2014 9:47 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
Jeanie, how deep did you pile the soil and compost over the cardboard? I want to do something like this for a new planting bed... yours seem to have ended up pretty much level with the rest of the area, which is what I would like (as opposed to a "raised bed."
“Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight." ~ Albert Schweitzer
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Jul 30, 2014 10:36 PM CST
Name: Jeanie
Minnesota (Zone 4a)
Replace your lawn with a garden!
Bee Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Sedums Garden Procrastinator Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Native Plants and Wildflowers
Region: Minnesota Hostas Heucheras Butterflies Cat Lover Daylilies
Hi Sandy.
I piled about 10-12 inches on top. It settles quite a bit, so I would guess it's now 6-8 inches higher than the rest of the lawn. Does that answer your question?
Jeanie
:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:
Old gardeners never die. They are just pruned and repotted.
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Jul 31, 2014 7:30 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
Thanks, Jeanie! Thumbs up I'm anxious to start on that new bed but I seem to have an awful lot of different garden projects going this year; I'm trying to stay focused on one at a time but I'm afraid that isn't really my strong suit Whistling
“Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight." ~ Albert Schweitzer
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Last edited by Weedwhacker Jul 31, 2014 10:07 AM Icon for preview
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Jul 31, 2014 9:15 AM CST
Name: Jeanie
Minnesota (Zone 4a)
Replace your lawn with a garden!
Bee Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Sedums Garden Procrastinator Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Native Plants and Wildflowers
Region: Minnesota Hostas Heucheras Butterflies Cat Lover Daylilies
Sandy, I am willing to bet we gardeners all have more projects lined up than we can ever do. Am I right?
:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:
Old gardeners never die. They are just pruned and repotted.
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Jul 31, 2014 10:50 AM CST
Name: Ann ~Heat zn 9, Sunset
North Fl. (Zone 8b)
Garden Sages Region: Ukraine Native Plants and Wildflowers Xeriscape Organic Gardener I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Garden Ideas: Master Level Butterflies Charter ATP Member Plant Identifier Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Dog Lover
Right!
I am a strong believer in the simple fact is that what matters in this life is how we treat others. I think that's what living is all about. Not what I've done in my life but how I've treated others. ~~ Sharon Brown
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Jul 31, 2014 6:04 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
LOL, so at least I'm not alone... Big Grin
“Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight." ~ Albert Schweitzer
C/F temp conversion
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Aug 2, 2014 4:08 AM CST
Name: Nancy
Eastern Shore Maryland (Zone 7b)
Similar story: I am a Master Gardener and had learned of this technique a while back. My husband was having problems mowing behind a kidney shaped bed, so I decided to do the lasagna trick to take it back to the property line. We put down cardboard from our new washer/dryer and covered it with mulch this past spring and I will put in plants this fall. (Be sure to cover the empty spots where the fold are because the wire grass tried coming up and I had to uncover the mulch and add another piece of cardboard.) Until then--I have potted what I think I want in this area and keep moving the pots around trying to decide what will look the best...and have enjoyed that aspect too. (We live in a raised ranch and our deck looks down on this end of the bed.) I let some of the cardboard show as my garden was on a garden tour and I was using this as a teaching technique. I will remove the showing cardboard when I edge this section of the bed.
Thumb of 2014-08-02/gardenlady201/05bf3b
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Aug 2, 2014 8:37 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
Do you use anything - like garden staples - to fasten the edges of the cardboard down, or is the soil/mulch enough ? (I'm wondering whether mowing around the edges is a problem.)

Nan, that's a great idea about potting things for a new planting area so you can rearrange until you're happy with it -- lots easier than digging stuff back up and moving it around!! Thumbs up
“Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight." ~ Albert Schweitzer
C/F temp conversion
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Aug 2, 2014 5:33 PM CST
Name: Jeanie
Minnesota (Zone 4a)
Replace your lawn with a garden!
Bee Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Sedums Garden Procrastinator Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Native Plants and Wildflowers
Region: Minnesota Hostas Heucheras Butterflies Cat Lover Daylilies
Sandy, I did not use staples or anything else. If you wet the cardboard and then top it with soil it should stay put if you are on relatively flat ground. I had no trouble mowing because I rimmed the area with border stones. If you didn't do that, I would think your mower would still be okay around the edges if you don't have it set really low. It certainly wouldn't hurt to use staples if you wanted to, however. Nan is right that you need to overlap the edges of the cardboard or paper so there are no gaps.
Nan, I totally agree that your idea of putting out potted plants to decide on your landscape design is great. I started redoing the area in the back of my house and have been moving all the pots around until I have the look that I want. And that's a beautiful garden, by the way!
:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:
Old gardeners never die. They are just pruned and repotted.
Image
Aug 2, 2014 6:02 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
Thanks! I've been debating whether to use some kind of edging bricks or whatever... on the one hand, without them you can mow right up to the edge and not have to get out the string trimmer; on the other hand, I like the definition that rocks, blocks, bricks or whatever give a bed and it also helps keep stuff from getting accidentally run over by the mower! Smiling
“Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight." ~ Albert Schweitzer
C/F temp conversion
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Aug 2, 2014 6:28 PM CST
Name: Ann ~Heat zn 9, Sunset
North Fl. (Zone 8b)
Garden Sages Region: Ukraine Native Plants and Wildflowers Xeriscape Organic Gardener I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Garden Ideas: Master Level Butterflies Charter ATP Member Plant Identifier Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Dog Lover
Well, you could do the entire yard & then you wouldn't have to mow OR weed eat.
I am a strong believer in the simple fact is that what matters in this life is how we treat others. I think that's what living is all about. Not what I've done in my life but how I've treated others. ~~ Sharon Brown
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Aug 2, 2014 7:25 PM CST
Name: Jeanie
Minnesota (Zone 4a)
Replace your lawn with a garden!
Bee Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Sedums Garden Procrastinator Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Native Plants and Wildflowers
Region: Minnesota Hostas Heucheras Butterflies Cat Lover Daylilies
I won't speak for others, but that's my eventual plan. nodding
:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:
Old gardeners never die. They are just pruned and repotted.
Image
Aug 2, 2014 7:50 PM CST
Name: Ann ~Heat zn 9, Sunset
North Fl. (Zone 8b)
Garden Sages Region: Ukraine Native Plants and Wildflowers Xeriscape Organic Gardener I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Garden Ideas: Master Level Butterflies Charter ATP Member Plant Identifier Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Dog Lover
Thumbs up Thumbs up Thumbs up
We did it @ our last home (a small, in town lot) & couldn't have been happier!!!! We got rid of the lawnmower, the weed eater & the edger. No gas to get, no noise, no weed eater string to buy & more storage room without those items. Thumbs up We did the entire yard Xeriscape. I wish we could do it here but we now have 6 acres. Impossible.
We did not do lasagne b/c we didn't know about lasagne then & we needed to bring the soil level down some so we dug out about 2" of the soil (sand) & then used mulch.
You can see what we did here:
http://garden.org/ideas/view/S...
We ended up not building on the 5 ac. & buying a house already existing on 6 ac.
I am a strong believer in the simple fact is that what matters in this life is how we treat others. I think that's what living is all about. Not what I've done in my life but how I've treated others. ~~ Sharon Brown
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Aug 2, 2014 9:20 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
flaflwrgrl said:Well, you could do the entire yard & then you wouldn't have to mow OR weed eat.


Rolling on the floor laughing We have a really BIG yard in the country... but if I DID do the whole yard I think I could charge admission as a botanical garden! Thumbs up

And then there's the 12 acres of woods/swamp -- pretty sure that could be made into a showplace too... but since I can barely keep up with what there already is I'll leave that to the next owners of this property! Big Grin
“Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight." ~ Albert Schweitzer
C/F temp conversion
Image
Aug 3, 2014 5:24 AM CST
Name: Ann ~Heat zn 9, Sunset
North Fl. (Zone 8b)
Garden Sages Region: Ukraine Native Plants and Wildflowers Xeriscape Organic Gardener I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Garden Ideas: Master Level Butterflies Charter ATP Member Plant Identifier Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Dog Lover
Rolling on the floor laughing Rolling on the floor laughing Rolling on the floor laughing Rolling on the floor laughing Rolling on the floor laughing Rolling on the floor laughing Rolling on the floor laughing

I can understand that! Hilarious! Hilarious!
I am a strong believer in the simple fact is that what matters in this life is how we treat others. I think that's what living is all about. Not what I've done in my life but how I've treated others. ~~ Sharon Brown
Image
Aug 3, 2014 6:24 AM CST
Name: Jeanie
Minnesota (Zone 4a)
Replace your lawn with a garden!
Bee Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Sedums Garden Procrastinator Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Native Plants and Wildflowers
Region: Minnesota Hostas Heucheras Butterflies Cat Lover Daylilies
Ann, very impressive. I have somewhere between a city lot and suburban lot in size and am on a corner. Both sides of the corner are steep hills and are all garden with boulders. The front is a steep hill and about one-fourth of it remains lawn surrounding a huge Japanese tree lilac. On the east side of my house there is only a grass walking path along the edge of a steep hill. I think I have to keep it for erosion control. The narrow area along the back of my house is all flower and vegetable garden, no grass at all. The west side of the yard is about one-third garden. My next year project is to expand the size of the border. I am keeping some lawn there for the dog.
The east side, the back, half of the front and about a third of the west are all lasagna gardens.
Sandy, I agree Rolling on the floor laughing Rolling on the floor laughing Rolling on the floor laughing
:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:
Old gardeners never die. They are just pruned and repotted.
Image
Aug 3, 2014 6:53 AM CST
Name: Ann ~Heat zn 9, Sunset
North Fl. (Zone 8b)
Garden Sages Region: Ukraine Native Plants and Wildflowers Xeriscape Organic Gardener I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Garden Ideas: Master Level Butterflies Charter ATP Member Plant Identifier Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Dog Lover
Jeanie, it sounds like you already have it pretty well pared down & planning to pare more of it down. Thumbs up When you get done, you might just be able to give up the mower & only use a string trimmer to cut the little bit of grass that's left.
I am a strong believer in the simple fact is that what matters in this life is how we treat others. I think that's what living is all about. Not what I've done in my life but how I've treated others. ~~ Sharon Brown
Image
Oct 25, 2014 6:53 AM CST
Name: Nancy
Eastern Shore Maryland (Zone 7b)
MrsGreenthumb said:Similar story: I am a Master Gardener and had learned of this technique a while back. My husband was having problems mowing behind a kidney shaped bed, so I decided to do the lasagna trick to take it back to the property line. We put down cardboard from our new washer/dryer and covered it with mulch this past spring and I will put in plants this fall. (Be sure to cover the empty spots where the fold are because the wire grass tried coming up and I had to uncover the mulch and add another piece of cardboard.) Until then--I have potted what I think I want in this area and keep moving the pots around trying to decide what will look the best...and have enjoyed that aspect too. (We live in a raised ranch and our deck looks down on this end of the bed.) I let some of the cardboard show as my garden was on a garden tour and I was using this as a teaching technique. I will remove the showing cardboard when I edge this section of the bed.
Thumb of 2014-08-02/gardenlady201/05bf3b


I have now finished planting the pots, I kept changing the pots around until I had it like I thought I would love it...

Thumb of 2014-10-25/MrsGreenthumb/c775aa

I still need to add more mulch for winter and decide what to do with the edges. I have 3 pots in the back I can't make up my mind about...by spring I will know if I want them there or if I want something else where they are. This fall I put down cardboard and mulch on the other side. Now I can think about what to plant there over the winter. It will be ready to dig in the spring. I was amazed at how easy it was to dig holes for the potted shrubs. I only used 3 inches of mulch over the cardboard and a few bricks to hold it in place until the mulch was down.
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Oct 25, 2014 6:58 AM CST
Name: Ann ~Heat zn 9, Sunset
North Fl. (Zone 8b)
Garden Sages Region: Ukraine Native Plants and Wildflowers Xeriscape Organic Gardener I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Garden Ideas: Master Level Butterflies Charter ATP Member Plant Identifier Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Dog Lover
Excellent!
I am a strong believer in the simple fact is that what matters in this life is how we treat others. I think that's what living is all about. Not what I've done in my life but how I've treated others. ~~ Sharon Brown
Image
Oct 25, 2014 7:37 PM CST
Name: Jeanie
Minnesota (Zone 4a)
Replace your lawn with a garden!
Bee Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Sedums Garden Procrastinator Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Native Plants and Wildflowers
Region: Minnesota Hostas Heucheras Butterflies Cat Lover Daylilies
Nancy, I think it looks great!
:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:
Old gardeners never die. They are just pruned and repotted.
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