Garden Chatroom Board

still on slooooow computer......black friday is almost here, and hopefully, i will have my new computer purchased and hooked up that afternoon.

helen, i have a similar problem as i had no trees or shade in my small yard/garden, i wanted a tree to shade my car in the summer and i have always loved the dark red maples and catalpa trees. i planted one of each and of course, now i have too much shade in some areas to grow food plants. next year i am hoping to be able to fill one flower bed with mostly hostas. under the maple i planted iris as the bed had become so shady that not much would work there. i'm hoping the iris will like it......easy to move if they don't.

nancyjean, i love the spring flowers.......narcissis, hyacinth, lilac, iris, peonies......as well as the first flush of roses. we usually have hot humid summers here in kansas.....and about a 6 week long drought.....so mid and late summer flowers often struggle.

one question i would like to pose is what you do to make a new bed for plants? do you till the soil or do you use the 'lasagna' method? i am 63 so i am not able to do digging like i used to do.......so i first put a layer of landscape fabric down and leave it there for at least a few months. i toss grass clippings, leaves, trimmings on it, and anything else.....except for food scraps which go in the compost bin. then when spring comes i top it off with manure, top soil, etc, and plant (usually annuals)......is the layer of stuff is still thin, i plant by cutting holes in the fabric. i keep adding stuff and by the second year i can reach in and pull the fabric out and plant permanent plants in the bed. it doesn't make a great bed for several years but it the least work i have found. what do the rest of you do?