My chef husband and I love to cook. So, naturally, we love fresh produce.
Our 2013 experiment, an asparagus bed, will be with us for years to come. Our new challenge: globe artichokes - I’m determined.
But artichokes are large plants, and need room. Specifically, their own bed. That said, the hardest part of starting a garden, is starting a garden.
Forming a garden bed out of your lawn used to mean hours of back breaking work digging up sod. Notice, I said, “used to.” Because now, instead of digging up sod, you’ll set up a lasagna bed, and let it “cook” over the winter.
No, you won’t be harvesting casseroles - although you might the stuff that goes into them.
Just let this churn from November until May, and you’ll have a fantastic bed full of rich top soil, and best of all, worms.
Ingredients: lots of newspaper, cardboard boxes (the kind without the laminate on the outsides), some topsoil, and mulch.
Measure the area for your new garden to determine how much newspaper and cardboard you’ll need. You’ll be putting down a few layers.
Mark off the area for your new garden with some twine and garden stakes - this way you’ll have a nice, precise edge.
Using your garden hose, soak the lawn area where the new bed will be. Then, lay down a layer of newspapers, wetting them as you go so they don’t blow away. Top the newspaper with a layer of topsoil, about 1-2 inches. Put down another layer of newspaper, wet and top again with topsoil. Then, put down a layer of cardboard. Thoroughly wet the cardboard. Add more topsoil, and another layer of cardboard. Wet again. Top with a layer of mulch, about 3 inches. Wet it all down again.
Keep watering the bed every other day or so, until you have to shut off your hose. Then, sit back and wait until Spring while the worms do all the work! The layers will kill the grass, turning it into nutritious topsoil, and you’ll be able to plant easily.
Our 2013 experiment, an asparagus bed, will be with us for years to come. Our new challenge: globe artichokes - I’m determined.
But artichokes are large plants, and need room. Specifically, their own bed. That said, the hardest part of starting a garden, is starting a garden.
Forming a garden bed out of your lawn used to mean hours of back breaking work digging up sod. Notice, I said, “used to.” Because now, instead of digging up sod, you’ll set up a lasagna bed, and let it “cook” over the winter.
No, you won’t be harvesting casseroles - although you might the stuff that goes into them.
Just let this churn from November until May, and you’ll have a fantastic bed full of rich top soil, and best of all, worms.
Ingredients: lots of newspaper, cardboard boxes (the kind without the laminate on the outsides), some topsoil, and mulch.
Measure the area for your new garden to determine how much newspaper and cardboard you’ll need. You’ll be putting down a few layers.
Mark off the area for your new garden with some twine and garden stakes - this way you’ll have a nice, precise edge.
Using your garden hose, soak the lawn area where the new bed will be. Then, lay down a layer of newspapers, wetting them as you go so they don’t blow away. Top the newspaper with a layer of topsoil, about 1-2 inches. Put down another layer of newspaper, wet and top again with topsoil. Then, put down a layer of cardboard. Thoroughly wet the cardboard. Add more topsoil, and another layer of cardboard. Wet again. Top with a layer of mulch, about 3 inches. Wet it all down again.
Keep watering the bed every other day or so, until you have to shut off your hose. Then, sit back and wait until Spring while the worms do all the work! The layers will kill the grass, turning it into nutritious topsoil, and you’ll be able to plant easily.
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