Hi, I am new to the forum. My late wife has a lot of bulbs planted around the yard. They come up at different times of the year. She spent a lot of time pulling weeds in these areas, time I don't have as I am alone now. I would like to keep the flowers that grow, but I can't keep the weeds down so I usually wind up weedeating the whole area. I thought about putting down a weed fabric, and covering with rock, but I assume it will keep the bulbs from coming up too. Any help anyone can give is really appreciated because when the flowers come up it reminds me of her and the work she put into the yard.
How nice that you want to keep your late wife's plants thriving. May I suggest mulch? Four to six inches of mulch will allow the flowers to come up and blossom, and keep the weeds down. You may still have to pull the occasional weed, but yanking them up is easy because they haven't had a chance to really "dig in". I don't know where you are, so I can't tell you what kind of mulch might work well for you. Personally, I like either wood chips or dried grass clippings. Stay away from weed cloth! That stuff is trouble in the making--weeds still come up, roots get tangled in it, and you'll be picking bits and pieces of weed cloth out of the beds for years! (Previous owners used it and after seven years I'm still getting that nasty stuff out of a couple of beds.)
I am in southern Indiana. My wife tried mulch once, but it stays pretty damp here all spring and most of the summer. I am at the bottom of a hillside on two sides, and the mulch began to mildew and decay pretty quick. The smell was horrible. Would just some decorative stone without the weed fabric do the trick?
As long as the rock doesn`t pack down, I don`t see why they couldn't push through. What kind of bulbs are they ? See what the others say. I am more of a vegetable garden person.
It must have been the year your wife did the mulch. I have it in high places and in valleys at the bottom of the hills and it has never never gotten smelly or buggy or anything, except the first day you put it out. I now have 8 years on it. I never have to weed except a high one once in a while and that doesn't get a good footing so it's easy to pull out. I also never water there. I actually only have to water things I have planted for the first few weeks. After that they are on their own. Right new we are having a huge dry spell and what is in the mulch does not need to be watered. You may want to reconsider what you are going to use. After the first year it's care free. That's when you put a thick coat down. After that you just top dress it. I could not have all the gardens that I do have if I didn't have everything covered in mulch. I would be going crazy. Actually I have learned in the snowy areas there is a nice trick. I am going to get my mulch delivered in Oct this year and spread it in March and April next year when the plants have not begun to grow yet. This will make it easier to spread without any plants. The plants will come up through it when they need to. We will but tarps down under the mulch and over the mulch over the Winter. I have 85 cubic yards ordered.
good night Barb! that is like 6 or 7 dump truck loads of mulch. You really use that much and spread it by hand? You have my utmost respect. I am never messing with you...even in the dark.
carolyn, you are funny. Yes, it's one of those gigantic trucks plus a little. We do haul to each garden and spread it by hand. We are just top dressing the front from now on but the back is newer and needs a think coat for a few years. carolyn, you made my day today. Thanks.
One year I had the mildew in my mulch and I agree it does smell bad. We threw it all out and when the area dried up, we put new mulch down. I have heard of Preen but I have never used it. I am not sure how earth friendly it is. I think mulch is the best way to go...could you hire someone that gardens and let them take care of it so you have the great memory of your wife newguy? I am sorry for your loss. Maybe you know someone that doesn't have a large yard and would love a place to garden... or put up a sign in your yard...garden help needed. You might be surprised. Just make sure you let them know you want the bulbs and why.
