Originally Posted by Favorite Fabrics
I grow perennials ... and a lot of weeds...
And vegetables ... also with a lot of weeds.
Have discovered that the best splurge I can make, if I have any money to spend, is a big load of compost. It makes all the difference in the vegetable garden and probably would with the perennials too, if I had any left over.
The soil in my yard is clay. Someone told me that I should give the garden over to "sweet yellow clover" for a season, that it has a long taproot, mines the minerals from way down in the soil, and breaks up the clay. I may try it this year.
Favorite perennial: tall phlox (just because, no particular reason).
Favorite veggies: beets (so sweet, yum) and pole beans, because they are so ornamental (yellow, purple, green and striped).
Compost "happens" - just start a pile! I have a raised bed 30x10 made from concrete blocks set with the holes up so that I could plant herbs and flowers in the holes. In the bed is asparagus, raspberries and then I plant peppers and tomatoes. After grow season is over we start putting the grass clippings and leaves in and adding in the kitchen scraps. All the coffee grounds, banana peels, egg shells, fruit and veg peelings. DH turns it 2 or 3 times in early spring. Yesterday we got up the rest of the leaves and added them. There is still enpugh time for them to break down enough - I got a LOT of worms
Last year seeds from a spagetti squash made their way into the garden bed and I got 2 "free" spagetti squash. Lots of vine for the harvest!