Brief rant re: my sibling's poor garden choices.

4 years ago

This is the most active forum I have identified, so you friends get to suffer through my whining.

I have recently moved in with my 82 year-old mother, who has been living on her own in her/our family home of some 52 years. My life has taken me farther away than my siblings, so my brother has done much of the yard work on the property for years. There is a full shade bed by the front drive that he says he has tried to improve for years, but can't get anything to grow. His recent (several year) attempt at rhododendron is failing, with the shrubs spindly and some completely dead. It seemed strange to me, because the neighbors across the street have incredible rhodies that bloom like monsters.

So, I set a goal to work on improving the bed myself, and finding something hardy that would grow there. I started with an attempt at some transplanted hardy geraniums from the back of the property.

Strangely, I had a hard time digging planting holes. Upon further work and exploration, I discovered that there are several layers of ancient shag carpet with fist-sized fieldstones on top or sandwhiched between them, and the whole situation has been buried for decades beneath maple leaves! My brother failed to mention the presence of these items following his previous attempts to control weeds and provide "curb appeal." And he wondered why nothing would grow?!?

My summer will now consist of first: hand digging the stones, to make the carpet even remotely amenable to removal. I'm not a spring chicken, and my tennis elbow and arthritis will not appreciate this new activity. Though, I must admit the rock digging is quite meditative. It's just going to take a long time. Fortunately, the entire bed is in dense shade, so the heat and sun are not limiting factors. Once the carpet is moveable, and the stones have found a new lease on life, the bed will be a fun blank canvas.

I have my work cut out for me. Wish me luck.

Featured Answer

porkchop_z5b_MI

4 years ago

Carpet under rocks -- Ack!! Have you considered hiring this out? I'm still paying the price for over-use when I put in large beds at my current house, and I think the resultant injuries will continue to plague me for the rest of my life in some way or another.

I'm curious to know what happened to the house and garden you bought a couple years ago.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (12)

cooper8828
4 years ago
Good luck! That sounds like quite the project.
docmom_gw thanked cooper8828
Related Professionals
Concord Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Aiken Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Harrisonburg Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Lawrence Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Brattleboro Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Idaho Falls Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Bend Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Hopkinsville Landscape Contractors · Hilton Head Island Landscape Contractors · Santa Rosa Landscape Contractors · Hempstead Architects & Building Designers · Toledo Architects & Building Designers · Kingman Architects & Building Designers · Bozeman Architects & Building Designers · Helena Architects & Building Designers
Patti Chicago Zone 5b/6a
4 years ago
I wish you luck also!! I would have to hire that job out. My 60 yr. old body could not handle that work. I do too have arthritis along with other troubles. Did you find out who did that at your mom's property. I would be also venting to that person. lol
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
4 years ago
Why isn't your brother doing the digging?
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
4 years ago
Upon further work and exploration, I discovered that there are several layers of ancient shag carpet with fist-sized fieldstones on top or sandwhiched between them, and the whole situation has been buried for decades beneath maple leaves!

==>> sorry.. i had to laugh out loud ...

you are in farming country.. dont you have a friend with a small backhoe?? .. maybe some hot stud 85 farmer guy for mom ... show up on his backhoe in a speedo... flexing out the front window ... and you having to physically hold mom back ...

ken

ps>: if you do backhoe.. call miss dig ...
porkchop_z5b_MI
4 years ago
"maybe some hot stud 85 farmer guy for mom ... show up on his backhoe in a speedo..."

Seeing an 85-y/o dude in a speedo is far worse than digging it myself. Besides, he probably needs the backhoe to lift his own equipment. :op
diggerdee zone 6 CT
4 years ago
Haha omg it didn't take long for this thread to go downhill lol!

Wow, that's quite the project ahead of you! Any chance you can get your brother to help you? Especially if he was the one who did all this wonderful carpet work lol? But at least now you know the reason and once you get it cleared out you'll have a great blank slate to work with - how exciting!

:)

Dee
docmom_gw thanked diggerdee zone 6 CT
docmom_gw
Original Author
4 years ago
I am loving the direction this thread has taken!

Progress update: My 22 year-old son and 18 year-old nephew came to visit/work. They had lengths of carpet yanked up and dirt moved that I never dreamed were humanly possible. We would have done more, but ran into ground bee nests. They appear to be bumble-type bees, and no-one was stung. I was able to go back to slowly digging stones without incident. We will probably revisit the carpet later today. It will still be a several week process, at least. But, the progress today was very exciting. My brother is the golden child who is forever blameless. Nothing to be gained by pointing fingers, except me appearing petty.

@ Mxk3,

My beautiful farmhouse and property/garden (life dream) have fallen victim to a combination of a nasty divorce and a rural medicine situation that literally nearly killed me. Enough said.

I will post pictures and provide updates. If I can. The photo I tried to download isn't showing up. I'll try again later.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
4 years ago
. I was able to go back to slowly digging stones without incident. We will probably revisit the carpet later today. It will still be a several week process, at least.

==>>>

july and august isnt really the time to be doing any planting or anything.. so its ALWAYS a great time for bed development... with a 'be done' target around mid to late sept... for .. in my MI... last perennial planting in early october ... and perhaps earlier.. if you are in ground freeze MI ... or dealing with small plants ... if you dont want them to heave in winter or spring.. they need to get fully settled in in fall ...

ken
docmom_gw thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
4 years ago
That sounds like a lot of exercise!
porkchop_z5b_MI
4 years ago
docmom -- I'm so sorry to hear that...
diggerdee zone 6 CT
4 years ago
Martha so very sorry to hear about your farmhouse. :( But also very happy to see that you seem to have rebounded and hopefully are healthy and ready to move forward with this new garden.. Best of luck and please keep us posted!

:)

Dee