Summer project

This spring I saw the need to raise my iris bed. The following pictures are my steps to a larger higher bed that hopefully won't drown. It came really close to succumbing to our cold wet spring.

First pic is the 'old bed'

Second pic from this springs blooming. It didn't show this much potential in the first pic.

Digging out the plants

The new outline: to which was added 2 huge pickup loads of soil, 1 large load of composted horse manure and 4 inches of leaf mold and then tilled to mix.

It's going to be beautiful!! All that hard work will pay off, I can't wait to see pics of it this spring!

Melissa

Almost done. Still need to level the stones add the second layer and fill in low spots. New bed is 30ft by 12ft and is 8in. above the lawn. No swimming allowed!

Will post the last pic when finished.

What a great new bed you have established!

I love it when people post steps in progress like this.

very nice! :) they will be very happy there!

I have the bed finished now. However the film is not full so will need to wait to post the pic. Added some perennials so I'll have something blooming most of the summer into fall. Also put in some bulbs for early spring blooms.

Thanks for all the compliments, I can't wait for next season either.

Looking good! I can't wait to see more pictures.

Here is the 'finished' bed. Can't hardly wait til next season.

That sure was a lot of work and looks to be well worth the effort! We can't wait to see pictures next year either!

LimeyLisa Kay

I just saw your new bed tonight lilyfan - great job - you will love it. Wish my iris were in a new bed. Have to dig them all out due to quack grass. Anyone out there know how to get rid of quack grass? Round up doesn't touch it here and I have a large pond near this raised bed and I don't want to use chemicals that could contaminate the pond water.

Thanks iowagal, I'm so looking forward to spring I can just about taste it! 55 and sunny today and I'm down in the lungs. The wind makes me cough so I can't even go out and enjoy.

I also have that grass and sure haven't been able to get rid of mine either. I can keep it somewhat controlled by putting roundup on it when it is young, but even then only somewhat controlled!

llilyfan - great looking bed! Bet it'll be beautiful in spring. I have a crab grass problem in my peonies. I dug out 3 last fall and moved them. I think there's 4 more to go. Winter intruded on my plans! :)

Winter sure has a way of doing that doesn't it. Crab grass I can handle (pre-emergent), but that quackers stuff spreads by runners and boy can they run.

What? It's winter outside in Iowa? Then what was all that rain coming down last night? Made me dream of spring & digging in my garden again...

This is a new iris/daylily bed I put in late summer. I was out today peeking at it and covering up any green I found.

Yippee, another spring time eye feast coming up!

I think I better go cover my new hostas. All that lovely snow did a good job but we had rain last week too. RATS! I hate rain in winter. Almost all our snow is gone. Just did a short truck run to IL with DH and we still have more snow that the rest of IA and western IL but ours is fast melting. This week we're not supposed to be above freezing all week and chance of snow Thurs. Hope it comes but without freezing rain first.

You got your wish! 6-8 inches of snow here in Cedar Rapids covering most of my beds...