Mistakes or Failed Experiments?

Weeding before mulching.

When I put down the wood mulch in front of my shed, I deliberately didn’t put down plastic sheeting first. The plan is to top up the mulch and allow it to compost below the surface. Then, every two or three years, rake back the surface to reveal rich soil which I can scrape up and put on the garden.

Before I started, I tilled, raked and thoroughly weeded half of the target surface area, but not the other half. Yes, it was an experiment to see how effective mulching is on unprepared soil. Now I know. It took only 7-10 days for the weeds to push through on the half that wasn’t prepared. Now I need to rake it back and do it properly. Lesson learned.

Blooming Tenacity

The last rose is hanging on, in defiance of autumn. Meanwhile, one calendula plant is opening its’ last flower. Both could survive into October, but there are very few bees around to appreciate them.

Resilient Rhubarb

When I divided the ancient rhubarb that I inherited, I gave away over 20 crowns. I’m still finding new plants in the scraps that were left. It only takes a small piece of root for the rhubarb to create a new plant.