I spent several hours both yesterday and today planting about 50 of these below the pathway that is below the flower boxes, which are below the fence (are you confused yet?). In the process, I had to put in 7 - 6' landscape timbers, which was not plan A. Plan A was to pull out all the weeds in that area (which, just to confuse you more is just above where the fruit trees are) and plant the phlox, then just use bark mulch to control the major weeds around the phlox. But, things never go the way they are planned around here, so I went to plan B.
The weeds had such deep root systems that I had removed all the soil to about 8" in depth. I had to build that depth back up with decent soil. That area is on a very steep hill, so I figured the soil wouldn't just stay in place - thus the landscape timbers. Actually I think the timbers are a good thing since they will (hopefully) keep the Wonderfull Spouse from weed-wacking the hell out of the new plants! I am hoping that, as a rapidly spreading plant, the phlox will soon drape over the boxes and start crowding out the weeds. I am sure that WS hopes so too since that would reduce his weed-wacking duties.
Tomorrow, I will probably be digging up some perinnials out of the flower bed between the uphill and downhill parts of the driveway. These will be transplanted into the last planter box, below the fence, that still needs to be filled. The plants in the driveway flower bed have been amazingly anemic the last couple of years. I am convinced it is because tree roots have found the nice soil that I provided and are leaching all the nutrients away from the perinnials. So, I will provide the perinnials with a new home with nice soil and no tree roots.
Sometime soon, I will be digging up some rasberries from a friends house, and transplanting them into the vacated planting area. Rasberries seem to compete well with tree roots, so I don't think there will be a problem, if you don't count trying to contain them in one area - and not letting them get too out of hand as a problem.
I am still debating whether to plant the vegetable garden tomorrow. The nights are still getting down into the upper 30's and lower 40's, so I will probably wait until next weekend before I put the vegetables out. I just added bat guano and dehydrated manure in the garden area today, so that would give WS an oportunity to rototill and get that stuff blended in with the soil. Provided, that is, that it dries out some, which not likely since it supposed to rain Tuesday and Wednesday - and it's still pretty flooded soggy moist now (even after 2 days of sun and 25-30 MPH winds).
At some point the planting will end, but there are a couple of other areas that also need work (new areas that we have torn up), so that point is not likely to get here soon. Ah well, it keeps me off the streets and out of trouble anyway!
Glad that you finally saw the sun, Bogie!
Posted by: Cop Car | May 31, 2004 at 11:04 AM
And it actually got in the 60's and 70's too. Never fear, we are paying the price for such audacity this week with more rain and yesterday's high of 52.
Posted by: bogie | June 02, 2004 at 05:35 AM