Drew,
I just wanted you to know that as a volunteer project in 2001, we had to dig out the entire stone fruit orchard in a public garden in Memphis. Five years before, the volunteers had put down landscape fabric and the stuff smothered everything under it!!
It doesn't really do anything for weeds, because the weeds will sprout on top of the fabric, in the mulch. It blocks air and moisture from getting in and I think it's ineffective compared to pine straw or even shredded stuff in a bag.
So, since you asked, that's my concern! Oh, the orchard is now thriving, again.
Sissy

http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~Linda%20Chalker-Scott/Horticultural%20Myths_files/Myths/Landscape%20cloth.pdf

I guess you're right!

I am no expert, but I believe that the Cannas, Caladiums, and Louisanna Iris would do good in a moist partial sun area, also maybe consider Elephant Ears, they also like moisture.. Bearded Iris I believe don't like to be so wet, and not sure on the glads?! Otherwise sounds good! Good luck! Oh, and to keep the weeds out, maybe just build up layers of lasagna... it will enrich the bed and should keep out the weeds! Jenn

Sorry, calla lilies would be good also!

Jenn

Aren't caladiums and elephant ears the same thing or have I been misinformed all these years?

I'm curious - what is this lasagna thing I keep reading? Are you saying that I should put pasta in my flower bed? I've seen it in the posts but am not sure what it is exactly.

drew

Elephant ears are green and large, caladiums are similiar but can be green and white, red and green, pink and green, spotted etc, etc. they are smaller.. if you do a search you should be able to see the many different varieties.. lasagna gardening is just layers and layers of organic matter put where you want a new bed.. sissy z is going to give a presentation on this at our spring swap so she knows lots! It has nothing to do with pasta! See the link it might help answer some questions!

Here is a link that might be useful: whats up with lasanga gardening!

Thanks .. I've done some web searching about lasagna gardening and I think I'm going to try it w/ this bed. So far I haven't read anything that says that you have to wait b4 planting so tonight after work will be fun :-)

I live in an area w/ few trees so the only organic material I can get on my own is from the kitchen and/or grass clippings. On my way home I'm going to stop at Lowe's and buy 5 or 6 bags of humus (1.09) to spread over the newspapers that I put down.

I hope this works!! I've got another idea for a bed that I may start if this one works out.

Drew you gotta come to the Swap to learn about Lasagna. I'm sending you the email on it.

I wish I could come to the swap. I work two jobs (one is something I would do for free anyway ...) and am a husband/father so I don't have a lot of time just yet to attend one ... although I think I would really enjoy it.

Maybe sometime in the future when they baby gets a little older.

Let me tell you what I did - I had already tilled the bed before I read about lasagna so I had to work with what had already been done. 1) I dug a trench around the perimeter to separate the lawn from the bed. 2) I wet it and placed a layer of newspapers over the whole thing. 3) I Poured and spread 5 - 40 lb bags of humus followed by 5 - 40 lb bags of manure. 4) I scraped up all of the pine needles that were sitting on my other bed (which i planted last year using fabric) and moved them to this bed. 5) I pulled up all of the fabric on my other bed and split the mulch that had been sitting on top of the fabric between the old bed and the new bed.

I realized as I was moving that mulch over that absolutely none of it had de-composed into the bed that I started last year. Furthermore, there were many earthworms at the top of the soil that I could see after removing the fabric which tells me that they were wanting to go up more into the mulch but couldn't.

I went ahead and planted elephant ears, cannas, and gladiolas in the new bed. I'm wondering if it is ok to put another layer of newspapers on top of what I've already planted? Do I need to wait until the end of the season or is it ok to put whatever I want out there?

drew

Drew, good job working that bed! I'd go ahead and just let it ride until Fall then hit it with some paper and compost two layers each.

Hey you can bring your wife and kids to the Swap! This is a family thing. We'd love for you guys to join us.

If you're in the East TN area, Cheryl is having her Swap in Seymour. You could always run over there!

Jeff

Drew,
Wow, you had a great day in the garden! Congratulations, it sounds like it will be great! It also sounds like your bed is going to be very cool and tropical.. maybe you can place some impatiens around the front, if they have good moisture they will do great! Just remember that good soil is an ongoing process... so keep adding good things to it.. ie: kitchen scraps, grass clippings, compost if available, and to keep it looking nice maybe top it with mulch or maybe soil conditioner (they sell that in bags at home depot for sure and maybe lowes?) Not sure about lowes, anyhow.. have fun and just keep gardening it will bring you and your family much pleasure! Jenn

Hmmmm ... impatiens. That's a thought. My mother-in-law has some iris increase that she's needing to be rid of so I'm going to put those in the bed as well.

I'll see about the seymour swap. I'm the worship leader at my church and have rehearsals on Saturday morning but I could probably swing by after that.

Give me some information on when/where. Right now, I don't have much to bring to the swap (maybe I can swipe some of my mother-in-law's goods :-) )

Anyways, Thanks everybody ... I really appreciate it!

Drew, you will be just down the highway from the plant swap. It will be held at the Seymour Herald on hwy 411. The website is

East TN plant swap

Bring what you can! If nothing, come by anyways and chat with us and hear our special guests speak.

How old is your son? I have a two year old daughter and a 9 year old son that will be there with us. Be sure to bring your wife too!

Rebecca in Knoxville

My son is 15 months old - we have another on the way that will be here in October (God Willing).

I'm going to talk to my wife about the swap and see if she's interested. I'm pretty sure that my mother-in-law would want to go.

Anyways, I'll just keep my eyes on this forum and pipe in whenever I think I have something of value to contribute.

Also, call me Andy instead of drew. I'm not sure why I typed that. :-)

Andy

Andy,
So, you tell us-what's the hardest part about your lasagna bed?!!

Too bad we can't do a diaper layer! LOL!

Rebecca

The hardest part? I'm not sure yet. It's only 3 days old. What I can forsee as being the hardest part is keeping it seperate from the lawn. I dug a trench around the outside and have the newspaper covering the garden side of the trench but I'm not sure exactly how it's all going to pan out .... maybe I could go down the trench once a month and lightly spray some roundup into the bottom.

About the diaper layer - maybe you should read this post -

Here is a link that might be useful: pampers