Wow, what a nice big yard! I love the size of the photos, as I feel I'm right there in your yard and can look around. Your vegetable garden looks good, too.

I don't know the answer to your question of when to plant, but I read a bit on lasagna gardening when I was thinking of doing that for my new bed. It was already spring, and it was going to take awhile for everything to decompose. Plus, we have an underground sprinkler system, so we wouldn't have been able to stack things as high as you are supposed to. If it was me, I wouldn't try to do the whole thing at once.

Let us know how you proceed.

Sue

Nancy,

Your plans sound great and very ambitious. I think it will look terrific. I left the front of my property "wild" so I would have privacy. It also helps block the noise and dust that boils up off the road. Even so, this is a very dusty place to live - sheesh!

I LOVE your split-rail fence and the flowerbeds you planted there. Very AWESOME! Do you make those rails yourself? I would love to be able to build one like that. don't have a clue how to do it though. As you can tell from my pictures, I rather like the rustic look.

I envy your nice flat garden area close to your house. My property is on land that was contoured back in the Dust Bowl days to stop erosion. There is no flat area for a garden, so I have to grow on terraces, a little here and a little there. It makes my garden spread out all over the place and no area big enough to have a nice big patch of anything...'cept wild grasses and weeds, of course. It's a major pain, really. And when I dig down to plant something, I am constantly finding pieces of broken glass, crockery, dishes, parts of old tin structures and metal barrels, tools and even old tractor parts, and all kinds of junk that was used to help construct the contours. Seldom anything salvageable though, darn it...all rusted away. Interesting to look at though. I did find an old plastic Mickey Mouse toy from the 1930s. It had one ear missing but otherwise intact. Anyway, I make do with what I have. That's all any gardener can do. :)

Keep us updated on your progress and post pictures from time to time.

~ Annie

I prefer the larger size pictures. My eyes are old.
I did the semi(?)lasagne method.
I put down cheap cheap tar paper and covered it with tons of leaves. In the fall and spring a fellow brings me about 20 bags of leaves each Friday. I emptied each bag and sort of swished it around with my foot and then put the next bag beside that. I did not rake them thin. I now have about 1 ft deep of leaves/compost. I received the last bags in April.

Sue - this will be slow process for the Princess who wants everything yesterday. Lasangne will take FOREVER!!!! Aarrgghh. Anyway, I guess my main worry is whether bulbs, etc. will survive....

Annie - When I put a shovel into the ground, I get flagstone. lol. Most of what you see was here when I arrived. The bones are good - I want less lawn. Any excuse will do.

Kathy - I'm with you!! Instant gratification!!

Cheers.

Fall is a good time to plant Iris and perennials, Nancy. What is your concern, that you will be doing the lasagne thing around the newly planted stuff?

It is an ambitious plan, and a large space. Please don't wear yourself out by trying to accomplish too much too fast.

Your produce plot looks much like mine does right now. I harvested my first corn today, three medium size ears of white corn. I ate one raw, and stuck the other two in the fridge.

Lorna

LOL, iam pulling up all my grass in my front yard all shade so anybody got suggestion of perenials that will flower all summer long in shade in Michigan!love hollyhocks but they love full sun..i get dappled sun in morning then late as sun goes down just got my hydrangas to bloombloom bloom as big a basket ball=annebelles inahedge & i have large rocks boadering all beds,roses,ferns & annual between to spill colors thru large6ft whitehibcus w/ruby throat tree,6red canna & various evergreens boarder the yard!
below is a postof a beauitfull concrete leaf pathway!
I have the leaves already done but need to make the flag stonew/the form & let the garden makre their self! w/a pond here a fairy garden over thei ect ect
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/accout/msg0300565030222.html?60

Here is a link that might be useful: Its done

Very innovative and pretty leaf stepping stones, sunshine. Are you going to do paths, Nancy?

Lorna

Yes - those are amazing!! I tried to do this a couple of years ago with rhubarb leaves, but the cement was old and they crumbled. 8-( I think a few mixed into the flagstone would be a good look, no??

Nancy,

You have a lot of wonderful gardening space! And, I assume you have no deer! LOL

A three year plan is definitely a great idea!

When I started the large "outer" garden, I got the soil ready in the fall, transplanted a few shrubs and perennials. Planted fall bulbs. The following spring, I could see where my bulbs were and I started working on sections with my perennials.

I still went too fast! I now have perennials that will need dividing and have almost no where to put them. Had I waited a bit with BLANK DIRT...I could have filled in with more of my favorites.

Watch out for the invasive grasses. Crabgrass can get under the roots of plants, creating air pockets, and killing off the plant. When you convert grass to garden, try to keep the crabgrass away. Corn gluten meal is supposed to be good on the weed seeds (but also prevents good seeds from germinating). It can be used 5-6 weeks before planting, I think. It doesn't kill established plants with roots...including weeds.

Cameron