Mulching for a complete dummy

Yesterday, I slaved away in the backyard, laying down a 6 page thickness of newspaper and topping with 2+ inches of mulch. I forgot to add the compost to the soil. Unbelievable. Back when I had a functioning mind, my plan was to prep the yard so I would have a space prepared to plant when spring arrived. It is my intention to winter sow. I don't know what to do now. I have all this compost sitting in the garage. Should I leave it there until spring and add compost to the soil when I plant? I wonder if rodents get into compost. Wouldn't that be fun? Not! I would really appreciate advice on what to do. I am feeling really dumb and down about now. I don't want to have to rake all that up, pull papers up, dig compost in and then start the newspaper and mulch business all over again. Please tell me I don't have to – there is another way. This will be a lesson learned! Thank you.
Patti

I would just spread it around on top of the mulch and let it all stew over the winter, then in spring, maybe stir it around a bit before you plant. Don't worry about it, freeze/thaw cycles, worms and insects and even rodents and snakes will help stir it as well, you just have a different layering order for your "lasagna bed". There are no weed seeds in either the mulch or the compost (we hope) so either one can be the top layer.

What a great idea. In essence, I am creating a lasagna bed. Thanks to you, I now have a new plan. Wait until I get sufficient chopped leaves and grass clippings and use that to cover the compost. I really don't want my Labrador dragging gunky feet into the house. I have already trained him to stay off the mulch – but if it's compost on top, all bets are off. Dogs love mud ( or anything that looks like mud ). Thank you so much. I am attaching two pictures to show what I had done, prior to remembering the compost.

Patti, based on your pics you now have a lovely area to plant!
I add compost whenever I feel like it. Compost can only help. In fact, I sometimes use chunky compost as a mulch. Once you (or Mother Nature) water the area, much of the compost will work its way in, anyway.

I remember the time I made a pizza and accidently put the cheese on before the sauce. It still turned out delicious. I just added more cheese on top. Oh, wait...wrong forum...forget about that. Back to the compost/mulch issue.....

We can talk about pizza here. After all, this is going to be kind of a lasagna bed. LOL

Thank you for the compliment. There are still many, many, many hours of work ahead of me, but I'm loving it. I am very excited about the changes in my yard already evident. I laugh when I think of how far I still have to go. This is the first time in my life ( Think decades ) I have had interest in gardening. Once I made up my mind I really do like it, I have jumped in with both feet. I'm so thankful there was an answer, other than re-doing everything I had done. Thank you to everyone for your comments.
Patti

Patti,
Take photos as you progress in your work. It will be a wonderful thing to look back to the "before"/during and "now" photos. I have done this and really enjoy seeing the transitions. I hardly believe the "before". You are facilitating a labor of love, and your payoff will be all the blooms year after year.

Val, I am taking pictures. Every time I go to the chiropractor, I show him exactly why I'm back in his office again. ROTFL. Yesterday, I was there at 9 AM. On my way home, I saw a local nursery was having a sale. Opps. By the time I had unloaded a hydrangea, a chaste tree and three containers of Gamma grass from my van, I knew I was in trouble again. I had to call a friend to unload the Smoke tree. I was back in the Drs' office at 3 PM.

I do need to add structure to the garden beds before I add flowers, don't I?

BTW, The Dr. is my ex. If I had to pay the guy, I couldn't afford plants. LOL
Patti

If your plan is to ultimately build raised planters, you do not actually have to do that before you plant, though it would make things a lot easier.

Raise the soil to whatever will be the finished height when the raised planters are done, and plant at that elevated height. If the soil will not stay there, perhaps it washes away when you water, then you will have to build enough of the planters to hold the soil where it needs to be.

Alternate idea: plant only temporary things in this area. Bulbs that will get lifted, annuals, perennials you need to dig and divide often...
Then set the soil level at whatever works now.
When you are ready to build the bed, remove the plants and replant them somewhere else, or back in the bed after you have filled the boxes with soil.

Ts mom,

Having a chiropractor in the family is a help, but dont keep straining your back. You have to pace yourself..>Spoken by someone who learned the hard way! ;o)
I'm not good at slowing myself down, but in the end, it's better all around!

Sounds like you got some goodies!

Diana K. - I keep giving the wrong impression. Sheesh.

The title of this post should read, "mulching by a complete dummy" in lieu of "mulching for a complete dummy".

Then I did not clarify what I meant in my statement about structure. I don't plan on raised beds in this area of the backyard. By structure, I simply meant to know, or at least have some idea, where trees, shrubs, supports with climbing vines, benches, or yard art should go before planting flowers. I apologize for expecting people to know what's "really" in my mind. Thank you for taking the time to offer your suggestions. They are always great ones!
Patti

Easiest way to do that is to draw a plan.
Include the house with the doors and important windows, and any garden features you want to keep.
Include comments about 'nice view' or 'screen this area'.

Then start laying out trees and largest shrubs. It can help to have someone in the yard and someone in the house.
The person in the yard holds up the tallest pole you have, pretending it is a tree. The person in the house goes from one window to the next visualizing a tree- height, width, location. The person with the stick moves around suggesting different locations for various trees and larger shrubs.
When a spot is chosen for a tree or shrub, mark it on the plan, with a note about how high and wide would be good for that location. Decide on species by...
...scanning the plan and posting here at DG, including a few pictures of the area.
... taking it to a reputable nursery that can advise you about good trees for your area.

Draw a small circle on the plan to represent the trunk, and a larger circle to represent the outer line of the leaves at about 5 years old, and perhaps another circle at about 10 years old.

Under the tree will remain fairly sunny for at least 5 years unless you buy a really large tree. But between 5-10 years, depending on species, the tree will start to shade the area.
I would plant short lived plants that thrive in the sun under the tree when you first plant it, and as it grows replace them with more shade tolerant plants.

If you are planning a screen or hedge of shrubs a zig-zag row will make a denser screen, faster, than a single line. Do not plant twice as many, intending to remove every other one. They will crowd each other, and grow too thin and wispy. Some shrubs never really recover from this, even when the competing plants are removed.