I hear that! This time, I even used handfulls of wet leaves I plopped down in the corners where the cardboard didn't quite cover.

I managed to complete the intended shape, using every scrap:




Covering this area with enough stuff is also a challenge. The place I might order a load of topsoil from has a minimum delivery of 4 yards. I don't have any place to put 4 yards of stuff and though eventually I could use it, immediately I would barely need 2 for this project. Too bad! So I am buying bags of stuff.

Yesterday I spread (sortof) six bags of topsoil (2cu. ft. each) around. This morning I spread 3 cu ft alfalfa pellets, similar amount of bagged steer manure, a few quarts of Milorganite, and some greensand, and then a light layer of straw over all that. Light because I ran out! This was three bales of straw total on this area.

Design-wise, this isn't really solving the problem, it's just providing me a more or less gracefully shaped bed in which to plant a lot more stuff than there is room for now. I have yet to resolve how to tie the gardens into the lawn/non garden space. You can see from the second picture how small this section looks from the opposite side of the yard. It's a big expanse.

I'm also not yet sure how much my cousin/housemate, whose house and yard this is, is willing to let me remake the space back there. There has to be a lot of room left for gatherings because she does use the yard that way from time to time. So I am pondering all this. I also have extremely limited funds for stuff.... and my usual way to solve things is just to make it up as I go along. So far, so good.

Looking really good, Kyla.

Lookin good

Save me. I'm now starting to see other shapes in the yard, shapes that could become new beds and turn the place into an actual garden.

I think I can do this while preserving enough open space for the various gatherings that sometimes happen here. I guess I had to get one shape created before I could really envision the rest of it.

Thanks for the encouragement!

Where there's a will, there's a way!

Maybe figure out a way to incorporate the plantings as a feature of the gatherings?

Debra, I like the way you think!

One gathering here that is traditional is a fairly large Easter Egg Hunt. Last year, my first year here, it was attended by maybe 30 kids and at least one parent for each, plus a few adults who dig the scene.

HIDING the eggs, and then SWARMING to FIND the eggs -- welp, I am going to have to think about this. I expect I'll be able to have some area off limits but I also imagine there will be a bit of damage I'll have to reconcile myself to. I'll try to time planting out anything sensitive for after the hunt!

And then there is a neighborhood garden walk, which just started last year, and which I know my cousin will want to add our newly gorgeous backyard to, so that event is not a problem really.

I'm remembering one year before I moved here, though, there was a big event that was a memorial gathering for a family member (long enough after his decease that it was more of a joyful remembrance) that involved tents and tables and chairs and all kinds of stuff.... It took up a large amount of the available area. But I don't think I have to plan for such an eventuality.

This morning I placed stepping stones. They can move but this seems to work for now.



These are slate tiles I found stacked in the shed; they were removed from the roof, or part of the roof, at some point.

I positioned them, for now, considering stride, reach, and pattern.

Good thinking to place them before planting anything.

Yes, and also this way I won't be walking all over the place as I go to and from the existing border, so the planting areas will remain uncompacted by foot traffic. Heck, the ground under there is so compacted already, it's going to take some time for it to soften up, so I don't want to add to that.



*wants to plant NAIOW!*

I know {{she says soothingly}}, but, even if the bed were settled and ready, I think it is late in the year for your area to put new plants in-ground?

Yes, well, perennials are still okay to plant here, but this bed is meant to receive much of what I intend to wintersow, and anyway, no, it's not ready.

Patience is a gardening tool I keep losing in the back of the shed somewhere.

Kyla, that looks great. You have good plan to have the planting area ready for all your winter sowing plants to go in. I should try that method again this year. It seems to be the only way I can grow anything from seeds. I always kill the little plants before they get in the ground when I start them inside.

I did an area in my back with the lasagna method. I will put the plants in that I picked up on sale next week. They are mostly bushes. We should stay warm until Dec. I have picked up some great bargins for 3,00 and 5.00 at Lowes on their markdown racks.

Thank you! And, good luck with your lasagna bed too.

Ah, sales....

The drawback to what I've done putting those stepping stones down at this stage is that I also would like to put more amendments onto the bed. So now I get to decide if I will take the steps up when I do that, or if I will try to spread stuff among the steps and leave them in position.

Maybe wait and see on further amendments. In my experience the soil is usually pretty nice after sitting for awhile. The entire east side of my yard is lasagna. I like the stones!
Regarding planting in the fall, I am in zone 4a/Minnesota and just planted some things last weekend. Still have a couple more to put in. I have planted into early October with success. Just mulch the new stuff well. But maybe it works here because of snow cover...

Thanks, yes, I'm hoping there are squads of earthworms under there, doing their thang.

And I was just out there poking around and I think I agree with you. I will no doubt "sprinkle" some compost around at some point fairly soon, but I don't think I'll need much else.

I agree I would leave your stepping stones in place. I sprinkle my compost in the Spring because we have heavy rains and I like it to wash into the soil in the Spring. We do not usually get a lot of snow. Except last year was a monster. They are saying we are going to have another bad winter. I do not know if it is cold or snow bad.

When I plant late I put a stone on top of the roots of the plants because we get a lot of heaving with the freeze and thaw. That kills my plants more than the freezing.

I just blow all my leaves into the garden beds instead of raking them up. They are great insulation for both established and new plantings. I clean the leaves up in the spring.

Oh I'll definitely be saving all the leaves I can, for mulching and composting purposes.