Folks, I'd like to write about how the Democrats in Illinois tossed out the Constitution last week but I'm just too tired. Let's talk about something fun, for a change.
The Great Replacement
As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, we lost over $2000 in shrubs from the record cold last December (so much for Global Warming). Consequently, I haven't expanded the gardens this year ... I've been busy replacing deceased shrubs with plants that are more cold-hardy, such as hostas (for shade) and cannas (for sun).
We put in about 120 hostas... this was the first batch of 50.
The Great Replacement
As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, we lost over $2000 in shrubs from the record cold last December (so much for Global Warming). Consequently, I haven't expanded the gardens this year ... I've been busy replacing deceased shrubs with plants that are more cold-hardy, such as hostas (for shade) and cannas (for sun).
We put in about 120 hostas... this was the first batch of 50.
Upcycling Cardboard
We don't recycle corrugated cardboard... we use it as a weed-block that decays to create compost in about one year. We've been doing this for the past four years and it works.
Here's how it works for us. I pile mounds of dead leaves into an area that will be a future garden (we have a LOT of dead leaves every Fall). I cover the leaves with cardboard (thanks Amazon) and then cover the cardboard with 2 - 3 inches of topsoil.
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The cardboard plus topsoil will gradually compress the dead leaves down to just a few inches as they decompose.
The cardboard has a number of benefits.
- It blocks the weeds
- It prevents the topsoil from washing down into the leaves.
- It's organic and decomposes along with the dead leaves
- Worms love the cardboard. The corrugations are like a luxury apartment complex for our wriggly little friends.
This area (about 200 square feet) will get covered as Amazon donates more packaging. It will be a new expansion to our woodland gardens next spring.
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