Month: July 2012

Sheet Mulching Update: Nine Months Later

In October of 2011 I was the host of a Sheet Mulching Workshop in my own front yard. It’s been nine months, and I’ve learned a few things about managing this new bed.

Rabbits love it. It doesn’t have the protection my fully fenced in back yard has, so they nibble at everything that tempts them. I’ve lost my beans, the lower branches of my cosmos, the sunflower plants, and a few other hapless transplants. Next year I will have to plant only those things that are of no interest to bunnies.

Weeds love it. We’ve had so much rain this year that this bed has become home for every sort of weed imaginable. This is undoubtedly because of the material used to form the sheets of mulch; any viable seeds in the mix had the perfect conditions to germinate. I’m hopeful that next year will be less arduous.

Above-the-ground plants love it. I couldn’t plant any below ground crops because there was still significant composting to occur, but anything that likes to be in nice warm sunny soil with plenty of moisture and nutrition did very well.

Here are some photos from start to finish.

Winning Garden 2012!

The Edmonton Horticultural Society holds an annual contest to determine the city’s finest gardens in twelve different categories. Anyone who has the entry fee can participate, and this year I threw my tilley hat in the ring in the “vegetable garden” category.

To my surprise and delight, I won first place. My Mom’s first response was to ask, “How many entries were there?” So like my Mom.

In any case, here are a few pictures.

Project: Up-Cycled Garden Scoop

All right, so you won’t be able to dig in the garden with this scoop, but you can spread seeds or sprinkle fertilizer. It’s just a handy little scoop to use wherever you need it. I use one for my dog food bag and another in my bird seed bin.

Draw your pattern directly on the milk jug

Cut out your scoop and trim to your liking