I have a question....
could you start this in an area that has mulch in it already?
I have a plant bed that has now plants in it right now but has old mulch down.
I was thinking of digging it all up and starting new. But maybe I could do this method and cut down on the work.
Does it matter what kind of mulch?
Making a new 'lasagna bed' for perennials?
GuardianGirl, I think it would be fine to start layering over the mulch that is already there-it would just be another layer of compost. Some mulches take longer than others to break down, but for me its all about what I have available, so I'd go for it.
Patricia Lanza has a book 'Lasagna Gardening'. She spoke at our Garden Show in April.
She said if your beds break down and you start getting a lot of weeds you simply start over. On top of the existing bed (in this case the mulch) you add the newspaper and other ingredients. It is what you have available. Make it easy on yourself. She is very practical.
Linda
I 'did' a flower bed in the fall of 2001. I first placed newspapers (12 sheets thick) down and tried to overlap, then mini pine nuggets, pine mulch and regular cedar mulch. I didn't get around to planting in it until 2005. I lined the border with 'cement' rectangles and squares.
Here is a photo of the bed this year on June 24, 06.
Marilyn
Wow Marilyn. That really turned out well! What is the size of that bed? I'm curious about how much material it took once you started layering.
carol
Carol,
Lol, I have to still measure it (don't know). You got me interested and the next 'good' weather day, I'm going to try and find out (might be next Spring). I'll let you know when I find out.
I had alot of newspapers in brown grocery bags and decided to do a 'no work' flower bed. I don't know how many papers I used at the time. It was a 'good' Fall day that I did laid the newspapers down, added the mini pine nuggets and laid the 'concert' border around it. I laid the newspapers right down on the grass.
During the time of the Fall of 2001 to Spring 2005, I laid pine mulch (other than the nuggets) and then, cedar mulch. I wanted to make sure the newspapers would decompose to dig plants.
Some of the newspapers still haven't decomposed completely, but I can still dig. I just let it sit 'to do its thing' and I got a flower bet 'the no work way'!
Marilyn
Thanks Marilyn. I need to get a bed ready for 100 new strawberry plants and 6 blueberry bushes and I'll need a few more beds for about a gazillion daylilies I've started from seed this winter. And I have a ton of other seeds to start still. I'll be battling bermuda grass underneath but I am game. I can be quite persistant. Just wondering what the ratio of material to garden square footage will be. I guess I'll figure it out as I go. I have a feeling it will be truckloads! lol
Carol
I guess this will be the BEFORE picture. lol
Carol,
That looks like a great place for your flowebed! Looks like a beautiful and serene spot!
Actually, that's why I started the flowerbed in the first place. I had hybridized Daylilies that Summer for the first time,plant the seeds right after Thanksgiving Day and needed a bed for the seedlings. That's what prompted me to do the bed. I did it in September or October and I didn't have time to do any dig a new bed.
Well, I don't have any seedlings in my bed, don't plan to and don't hybridize anymore. I have MS (Multiple Sclerosis) and have had it for 8 years now. When the following Spring and Summer came around, it 'was too much' for me, so I quit (with all the activities with hybridizing). I use that flowerbed for other plants and just try to grow 'a couple of handfuls' of Daylilies and grow less maintence plants. I've started planting more and more plants 'for the Hummers and Buttlerflies'. It's very rewarding and enjoying to see them in the yard. I've even started planting 'host' plants for the Butterfly 'cats'.
I don't get the daily newspaper now, so I'll just the cardboard from the boxes I get from the nurseries (the ones that hold your bought plants) and from boxes that get delivered to 'start' more beds.
The newspapers pieces I still have in the bed are just tiny ones and are just a few pieces (meant to clarify that in previous post).
Let me know how your new bed comes out and I'll try to find out the area of the flowerbed.
Marilyn
Here is the flowerbed on July 7, 05. It looks like a have at least one plant there and maybe a couple more (can't see the rest of the bed) planted by early July. Forgot about this pic. I just added the Flags in the front of the bed since I had 'so much room'. lol
The flowerbed on the left of the one with the Flags (with the Lavender, etc,,,) is mine also.
Marilyn
Here's the flowerbed on June 11, 06 in the evening. It shows the whole bed this time. Forgot I had this one too.
Marilyn
Pretty. Well I am inspired! Thank you so much for sharing your pics Marilyn. Sending you a dmail. :-)
Carol
Hi, again, everyone!!
Thought it would be fun to resurrect this thread and ask if you can post some pics of your Lasagna Beds now that they have been in for a year?!
Here's part of our new Lasagne Bed after nearly one year-- lots of nectar plants for the butterflies.
(Marilynbeth, I know you must have some fabulous photos!)
so let's see some pics, please!
Oh, Tab, that is beautiful. Have been contemplating a lasagna bed for the southside this winter so it would be ready in the early Spring. This is inspiring.
Tabasco, your garden is beautiful.
I haven't actually done a full lasagna bed, but I have enlarged my main flower bed three times this summer using Brent's method. I just used newspapers to smother the grass, watered everything down well, added compost, plantone, and mulch. I then planted immediately. In the new areas, I have coneflowers, catmint, blanketflowers, mexican heather, marigolds, osteoporum, and three different types of butterfly weed. Everything has grown nicely.
Since I am not trying to make a raised bed, but just enlarge my beds, this has worked well. I too have stripped the sod in the past, and it is back breaking work.
My next step is to enlarge the bed around my foundation plants within the next month. I may add some additional coneflowers from some of the volunters in the garden, but for the winter, it will be mainly pansies, with daffodil bulbs. By next spring, it should be in good condition. Once again, I wont have alot of layers, because I don't want it to be raised. I basicly want to get rid of the grass and add some enrichment to the soil.
This is so much easier than removing the sod. I don't think that I have the patience to plan a bed for the next season or next year. I want to plant immediately.
Great Job t! Beautiful combination of plants too!
While I did strip some areas to get some stuff in the ground ASAP, I used the sod in lasanga beds for fall planting. Goats used to be housed in our barn and I've been using the straw/manure from the stall in the layers. Mulched leaves will top it off this fall. Everything grows so well in beds I've done this way, I'll never go back.
Tabasco,
Your garden is beautiful!
Took some pics of my 'lasagna bed' on Sunday the 12, had hubby put them in computer and here we go.......
at 11:03 AM
pic 2 also at 11:03 am
pic 3 at 11:02 am
pic 4 also at 11:02 am
pic 5 at 11:01 am
pic 6 at 11:01 am
the bed on the left is mine too
This message was edited Aug 14, 2007 8:45 PM
pic 7 at 10:57 am
pic 8 at 10:56 am
pic 9 at 9:29 am
The bed 'behind' (on the left) this bed is mine too
This message was edited Aug 14, 2007 8:41 PM
This message was edited Aug 14, 2007 8:44 PM
pic 10 at 9:28 am
This is not my house, it's the neighbors
pic 11 at 9:26 am
pic 12 at 9:24 am
pic 13 at 9:24 am
pic 14 at 9:24 am
pic 15 at 9:24 am
pic 16 at 9:24 am
pic 17 at 9:23 am
pic 18 at 9:06 am
the bed on the 'left' of this bed is mine too
This message was edited Aug 14, 2007 8:42 PM
pic 19 at 9:05 am
pic 20 at 9:03 am
pic 21 at 9:03 am
pic 22 at 9:03 am
the bed on the far left of the pic is mine too
This message was edited Aug 14, 2007 8:43 PM
pic 23 at 11 am
far left side of bed (or, top of bed)
pic 24 at 11 am
(middle of bed)
pic 25 at 10:59 am
(far right of bed, or bottom of bed)
