MY YARD LOOKS LIKE A CARDBOARD FACTORY THREW UP ALL OVER IT!...

HELP!!!  A cardboard factory threw up all over my yard!!!

NOT!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend Y'all!

While most people are going out of town and planning fun events for the Memorial Day Holiday I will be finishing up the massive planting bed that goes halfway around the house.

Yes, you should feel sorry for me....whaaaa!

Naw, just kidding, I will be finishing the planting bed but it should be done by sundown tonight. All I really have left to do is spread the mulch which shouldn't take long and then we will be ready to do some fun stuff.

First though, before I take off for the holiday weekend, I wanted to show you our progress on this garden. We started by tilling and getting rid of all the grass and weeds that had overtaken the place. I have no true before pictures of that, though you can see a little bare ground here...

You might be wondering what's up with all the cardboard.  WEELLLLLLL....Lemme tell y'all about it...

It's an all natural, biodegradable, FREE weed barrier. A lot of people used to use that black fabric or plastic commercial weed barrier, you know the kind, to control weeds in their gardens. However, those are not anymore effective at keeping weeds at bay than newspaper or cardboard. They are more expensive, harder to use and they are BAD for the soil because it smothers all the living organisms that promote plant life.

Now with everyone being so conscientious about going "green" they are using more natural products in their landscaping too...and for good reason. Newspaper and cardboard are not only all-natural (because they come from trees) but they are also biodegradable and...they help to produce and richer more nutritious soil for your plants as they degrade. Oh sure you may have to add another layer in a few seasons but that is not a hard job and they are quite good (or so I have been told) at keeping the weeds away. There will be a few weeds at times from weed seeds that blow in from the wind but those will not be able to take root (because they will not come in contact with any soil) so they will pull out easy.

I have read a lot of good things about this procedure so I am looking forward to seeing how it all works out.

Have you ever used newspaper or cardboard in your landscaping?  If so, how'd it do? I'd love to hear all about your results.

Not to get off subject or anything but, I will be getting a few more plants for this area and...boy aren't the dwarf roses and fountain grass doing good? Ha, I love it.  They have filled in so nicely!

Okay back to the cardboard...the reason I am doing all of this is because I know first hand that mulching alone does NOT do the trick.  Of course you all probably already knew that.

I used mulch down both sides of the sidewalk last year (remember this)...







Looked great but I have had to weed at least once a week since then. (or when I get the chance) and you should see how horrible it looks now since I haven't weeded in well over a month.  It's HORRENDOUS! I didn't take any current pictures because I didn't want to scare you away.

Anyway, I am going to put a layer of cardboard down the sidewalk too...as soon as I get the chance, but I don't think that will be this weekend.  Why? Because....I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING A FUN MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND with the family.

You do the same, mmmkay!

 Ciao,