Spring Cleaning!

Step it up! 

So, I was a little bored with the shape of the large flower bed in the front of my house. It really needed a little something. I really have an aversion to hard straight lines in a garden  I've expanded the flower bed along the garage as well as lengthened it. I was able to spread out the juniper bushes and bring the quince forward away from the wall.

As you can see in the picture below the flower bed cuts off at an odd spot. behind the downspout. My plan is to eventually run a flowerbed down the length of this side of the house to match the other side of the house. We'll see when I actually get that done. :)  It is a whole lot of work pulling up all the grass and breaking up the clay soil and amending it with good garden soil.

Side Yard Clean Up!

What a mess!

Clematis and Knock out Rose looking sad.

It's amazing how fast the grass will take over when not kept in check. The biggest part of this flower bed had my sunflowers in it last summer and after they died off in the fall I cleaned it out and left it.

Tilled in garden soil...

So, it took quite a bit to get it cleaned out and ready for more sunflower seeds! 

My husband found a small battery powered cultivator at our second home, Lowes, and it worked like a dream! It really made it so much easier to clean things out and then till in garden soil to amend our terrible indiana clay soil. Hopefully one day, probably years down the road, my soil will be perfect after adding in all the good stuff!  

After the cleanup! 

Mad About Mulch!

Mulch always makes such a huge difference in the flower beds, it makes everything look complete and cohesive. And it helps with weed prevention and moisture retention for your plants.

There are so many different options when it comes to mulch that it can get very overwhelming and you find yourself asking, "what kind should I get?" "What color and are the not natural colors safe for my plants and all the wildlife that likes to come visit my yard?" "and what about recycled rubber mulch?"

I've done a lot of research and found that it really comes down to personal preference. As for the dyes they use for red and black mulch its typically vegetable base and safe for plants, sometimes the red is colored from Iron Oxide and the black from coal and are naturally occurring substances and ok for your yard. 

The problems with mulch being dangerous is more when they use wood that has been chemically treated. But a good rule of thumb is to check the labels before you buy! Check the link out below for some more info! 

Read more: What Is Black Mulch Dyed With? | eHow http://www.ehow.com/about_6782815_black-mulch-dyed-with_.html#ixzz2T8qq3UT7

Clematis and Day Lilies

Knock Out Roses