Quite the contrast!

16 years ago

It's hard to believe that 50 feet could make such a huge difference in soil.

Last year, as I was clearing out some sod for a small garden expansion, I needed someplace to "dispose" of the small pieces of sod. We don't really have a good spot to dump, so we kinda made one. It's the furthest back corner of the shade garden... seen here behind the garden flag.

Well, for the last couple weeks, I've been asking hubby to build me a small 90Âº retaining wall behind the pile (at the corner of our lot), so I could move the soil around to plant in. Well, we decided that once I spread out that soil, it probably wouldn't be very tall and once the soil settled, it'd be even shallower. So, we could probably build whatever wall we wanted from logs we had lying around.

Well, I decided to get out and start moving the soil around and I was THRILLED with what I found! Despite the deep shade, the remaining grass and roots had decomposed and had made soft, fluffy, BLACK soil that was loaded with earthworms! I was so excited to plant in it that I decided to just pile the few logs on the back corner up against the fence posts.

I planted a few of my new acquisitions, including Ebb Tide as the focal piece at the top of the garden. It'll be nice and tall at the back. And for screening, I'm planting 3 Annabelle Hydrangea that I got on sale this week!

Once I'm done planting it, I'll post an after pic, but for now, here's the before:

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Comments (6)

hosta_freak
16 years ago
Nice garden! Yeah Melissa,that "black gold" is the best thing you can plant in. It needs no other fertilizer,or anything. That's sorta like what my soil is,though not black,it is reddish brown made from years of leaves falling on it,and rotting. Congrats! Phil
jel48
16 years ago
Beautiful garden! I have 'black gold' like that at the house in MN (rented out now). It's under some big pine trees and those years and years of pine needles had decomposed. It was just gorgeous. Black and soft and mellow, just like you describe. Wish we could all have a yard full of that! :-)
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i-like-to-grow
16 years ago
beautiful stuff melissa... I'm sure this is just a smidgen of it... but wow you guys have a beautiful property.... I have a very mature annabelle hydrangea in my yard... I love it... I just recently purchased a summer lace and a peppermint... I have a big love for the hydrangea =)
freshair2townsquare
16 years ago
Congratulations on your accidental-but-couldn't've-planned-it-better score, Melissa! Keep us posted on the progress.

~ freshair
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
16 years ago
ya know.. in a few years.. that turtle.. will make a real nice nursery bed..

though perhaps a bit ugly ... lol ...

hey!!!! ... blue 8 foot round kiddie pool. filled with sunshine potting media.. ibso presto ... nursery bed ...

ken
thisismelissa
Original Author
16 years ago
Screw the turtle Ken...

That whole play area is going to be a MAJOR expansion area! Let's see, Mia will be 4 this year.... I think my next door neighbors got rid of their set when the kiddo was 8.... so, that's 4 more years? (unless baby #2 ever decides to show up!)