tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post7054395724088421501..comments2023-11-03T08:59:11.561-04:00Comments on May Dreams Gardens: First Estimate on Making a New Planting BedCarol Michelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796344366326535406noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-36446173195053300652007-10-22T20:51:00.000-04:002007-10-22T20:51:00.000-04:00All... thanks for the comments and encouragement. ...All... thanks for the comments and encouragement. It seems we all agree on doing as much of the work in our gardens as we can manage. <BR/><BR/>I would have started digging this evening, but it is raining (which is a good thing!)<BR/><BR/>Carol at May Dreams GardensCarol Michelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07796344366326535406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-87112181821511866992007-10-22T19:41:00.000-04:002007-10-22T19:41:00.000-04:00I'm with you! I'm gradually digging up my entire ...I'm with you! I'm gradually digging up my entire yard. My goal is to create one large garden with paths, no lawn. It's going slowly because it's just me and my shovel. I'm in no rush. I'm enjoying every minute of it.OldRoseshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10307114475443602351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-37438779921024257222007-10-22T15:33:00.000-04:002007-10-22T15:33:00.000-04:00I think when we hire someone to do things that we ...I think when we hire someone to do things that we could do we lose something in the process. We lose the physical benefit of all that hard work, we lose the pride in our accomplishment, and we lose something intangible, the fight of reclaiming something ugly for beauty. Such a thing should not be easy. <BR/><BR/>Gardening is one of the things that reminds us that we are only human, sometimes onlyWrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06405623450827880219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-29540890314619697112007-10-22T13:20:00.000-04:002007-10-22T13:20:00.000-04:00I'm with you, Carol. After we paid a lot of money...I'm with you, Carol. After we paid a lot of money to "All American Lanscaping" to dig up beds all around the house and plant some evergreen, we said never again. None of them spoke English and didn't know anything about gardens. Fools. No - we were fools. Now we do a little at a time all by ourselves and keep Advil handy.Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02040099513110890878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-17590478298785015102007-10-22T02:38:00.000-04:002007-10-22T02:38:00.000-04:00What you are after is the Esther Deans' No-Dig met...What you are after is the Esther Deans' No-Dig method -- see http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s185412.htm for details. It works very well here at any time of year and I imagine it would be even better left through winter, as Christa suggested. I recommend wads of 10 sheets of newspaper on the bottom layer to kill off whatever is underneath. No turf removal or heavy digging required!Chookiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07230973711859964063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-70201655338289446902007-10-22T01:43:00.000-04:002007-10-22T01:43:00.000-04:00Hi Carol,I haven't been active reading or writing ...Hi Carol,<BR/>I haven't been active reading or writing my blog for a while... Tonight I read of few of my favorites (you being one of them!) and you won't believe what I just finished this weekend...a bed like you described. Now, I won't be in the popluar crowd, because I'm an instant gratification kind of girl and had a young man dig it up for me Saturday. For a mere $100, the two of us Gardenmomma Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09829147691071888606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-66728011145676742782007-10-21T22:38:00.000-04:002007-10-21T22:38:00.000-04:00cha ching! i agree with carolyn - imagine how many...cha ching! i agree with carolyn - imagine how many plants you can buy with 1000 bucks!Ginahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04119471756261855850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-3495865391512527512007-10-21T22:07:00.000-04:002007-10-21T22:07:00.000-04:00I'm in the same boat and I hear you. It would be ...I'm in the same boat and I hear you. It would be lovely to have all the work done magically and just be able to focus on the fun of planting. But I'm reminding myself that we are destined for cooler days now and working outside won't be as horrific as it would have been a few weeks ago. <BR/><BR/>Can't wait to see your future results.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01029244567686979589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-90101550374049477322007-10-21T18:14:00.000-04:002007-10-21T18:14:00.000-04:00I am putting in a vote for the lasagna routine. I...I am putting in a vote for the lasagna routine. I use birdseed bags. They are heavy enough to last long enough to kill the grass. You can also easily cut them to the desired shape. Then you just throw on your soil amendments, turn it over and plant. You will feel so good about all this when it is finished. <BR/><BR/>If that is too slow maybe a neighbor boy or girl could do the removal of the Lisa at Greenbowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07743973292900758183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-49428333466785177762007-10-21T18:06:00.000-04:002007-10-21T18:06:00.000-04:00when i read your post i thought, wow! i have saved...when i read your post i thought, wow! i have saved myself a ton of money enlarging my own beds... i am working on one right now that is marked off with spray paint, round-up is applied and next week i start digging up the grass. AND i have others to do in my garden dreams. :-)<BR/><BR/>thanks for the reminder there's no need to rush it... i often forget that aspect wanting so badly to get to the Meemshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16341998120938921741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-42552079883489353982007-10-21T16:36:00.000-04:002007-10-21T16:36:00.000-04:00Heck yes, Carol, do it yourself. Most of that cost...Heck yes, Carol, do it yourself. Most of that cost is for sweat equity, of which we gardeners have plenty (though only in spurts here, of course)! I pay people to do things I'm pretty sure would kill me if I attempted them, like cleaning gutters, washing 2-story windows, and felling trees. You're going to enjoy that bed so much when you're done, and wow, all that money for plants!LostRoseshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06586462466899344347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-88316493875883366192007-10-21T16:25:00.000-04:002007-10-21T16:25:00.000-04:00Good for you, Carol!I was going to suggest the las...Good for you, Carol!<BR/><BR/>I was going to suggest the lasagna method as well if you really don't want to approach all of that digging. You may have to at least dig around the edge, though, to give it a clean one--and because cardboard generally is hard to round off, if you have an amoeba shape. :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14395380166485303934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-24675880664523601082007-10-21T14:15:00.000-04:002007-10-21T14:15:00.000-04:00Hello Carol, That's the kind of project I save for...Hello Carol, <BR/><BR/>That's the kind of project I save for my yearly turn with the Divas of the Dirt. They like to do one big thing to give us all a sense of immediate gratification ;-]<BR/><BR/>But I did things on that scale by myself before the Divas let me in. <BR/><BR/>If you rush to get everything done, and there are no more projects to plan, you'll have to move! <BR/><BR/>Annie at the Annie in Austinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14662139490401110432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-40006017612190245312007-10-21T13:14:00.000-04:002007-10-21T13:14:00.000-04:00when you look at it as one square foot at a time, ...when you look at it as one square foot at a time, it seems doable. That's the best way to approach a project of any kind!It's got me through many a chore.<BR/>AiyanaAiyanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04525758484165324330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-35717021996785462662007-10-21T13:08:00.000-04:002007-10-21T13:08:00.000-04:00Not to mention the health benefits from all that w...Not to mention the health benefits from all that work, Carol . I agree with you 100 per cent - as long as you can do it why pay an hefty price ?<BR/><BR/>$900 will buy a lot of good stuff for your garden.<BR/><BR/>I'm with you on "what's the hurry?" In the memorable last words of Scarlett O'Hara " I won't worry about that now. After all, tomorrow IS another day. "Sweet Home and Garden Carolinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08026451200405491815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-13673870630890758482007-10-21T12:46:00.000-04:002007-10-21T12:46:00.000-04:00Carol,When we were putting in our new garden bed, ...Carol,<BR/>When we were putting in our new garden bed, someone recommended the "lasagna method." No digging. Just cover the area with newspaper and layers of mulch. Then leave it alone through the winter. I haven't tried this method (because we were in a hurry to plant right away) but maybe it would work for you if you're not planning to use the bed until next spring?<BR/><BR/>Good luck with Christahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01905386163490128028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-43333274592016953912007-10-21T11:56:00.000-04:002007-10-21T11:56:00.000-04:00Good luck on your new garden. Just which nephew di...Good luck on your new garden. Just which nephew did you have in mind?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-76131550680327638742007-10-21T11:16:00.000-04:002007-10-21T11:16:00.000-04:00I appreciate the fact that you're taking the torto...I appreciate the fact that you're taking the tortoise rather than the rabbit approach to the new garden beds. After all, gardening is all about the enjoyment. And too many people fail to enjoy the process in their urgent quest for the result. Why can't the result BE the process? More slow living! Yes!<BR/><BR/>--Robin (Bumblebee)Robin (Bumblebee)https://www.blogger.com/profile/04516571306617946865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-16125443149727602862007-10-21T10:47:00.000-04:002007-10-21T10:47:00.000-04:00You sure will. I like do-it-yourself projects too....You sure will. I like do-it-yourself projects too. But finding a nephew or other young man to help out with the heavy work, for a fraction of the landscaper's price, might not be such a bad deal either.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com