On top of that I just discovered today that I hadn't turned off the outside tap, so for the past WEEK I've been leaking water from the hose which contributed to the soggy ground around my garden.
(Sigh) Trust me, I've called myself 12 different kinds of idiot today. Just wait till the water bill comes. ("IDIOT")
Since I can't dig with the ground as wet as it is, and I can't haul dirt to fill the raised bed without bogging down the truck...I've been at a bit of a loss as what I could do today.
But never fear...Besides giving all the dogs a bath...(Muddy, filthy puppies)...I managed to find some inspirition from Leigh over at 5 Acres and A Dream.
Like Leigh, I decided to attack my future weed/bermuda grass problem.
Last year I laid out landscape fabric between the beds and threw pine bark mulch on top of it in an effort to keep things looking nice.
Ha! Bermuda grass can grow through anything and everything, so before long my nice paths were again covered. You can pull and pull, it's stubborn stuff. It's also a loosing battle.
So I figured cardboard was the way to go and started snagging cardboard boxes from work. I had them in the Jeep, in the shed, in the garage. I've been collecting since the first of the year.
I even trolled the neighborhood yesterday and found a few more boxes. I thought I had enough. Nope. I think I'll be snagging cardboard from now on since the garden is expanding in size.
I pulled back the mulch.
I then laid the cardboard and wet it down from the "swimming pool" bed.
Then I tossed the some of the mulch back onto it to help hold it down.
I don't have enough mulch for this, so I'll be hauling more mulch on Monday along with some topsoil to back-fill the other bed.
Now what the heck am I going to do tomorrow? Maybe I can finish the "double dig" bed. If it's dry enough.
The beds are looking really good. And so is the clean puppy.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying some cardboard myself. I went to the grocery store in our little town and they had a few bales of the stuff in the back and they let me have it...of course my husband is sure I'm just gong to make a *mess*....oh well!
ReplyDeleteYour raised beds really look nice!
We're suppose to get rain from Sunday to Sunday! :(
Tami, your garden is looking so good. I tried to plant some of my asparagus roots yesterday but found it was still too muddy. It's driving me nuts to not be in the garden! Working on pathways though, is an excellent idea.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, you are going to have some water bill!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you put in a full day! Hopefully the cardboard and mulch will work....looking good!!
The cardboard does a waaaaaaaaay better job of deterring weeds than the landscape fabric. You made good use of your day!
ReplyDeleteYour sprouts look wonderful!
Maybe y'all should think about getting a well?
Jane - Yep. At one point in the day I had a "trail" of towels trying to get those muddy paws clean before they came in the house. Mud season for sure.
ReplyDeleteLynda - yick...all week long! I sense some cranky posts coming up. (Grin)
Leigh - Thanks for the motivation! Seems much dryer today!
Thanks Robin! I think I'm having more and more of those "bone-head" moments. To easily distracted. Yeah...That's my excuse.
Daisy - We did inquire about a well. (We had one in Virginia Beach) They want 3K and up for a well. Rain barrels here I come.
Wow! Three grand??? I guess we should get one since they're only half that here. OK, I'll stop complaining now!;0)
ReplyDeleteRain barrels are a great alternative or maybe even a cistern, if you can do it.