Getting the Bed Dug

Things were going well until my wife got a good look from the patio and decided that the bed could use another eight feet or so on the west end. It would be in a bit of a curve of course. She is by far the designer when it comes to landscaping. I merely get to implement the suggestions or at least to say if they will or will not work. Actually most of it is a discussion thing. In this case, of course, she was right.

Pause to look at the lawn. Most gardeners take pride in a perfect expanse of grass lawn, fertilized spring and fall, limed as necessary but on a regular basis, and kept weed free either with backbreaking labor or specific herbicides. I like to leave mine alone except to mow it. In fact I fertialize by mowing and leaving the clippings in place. Here you can see a mix of grasses, clover, wildflower and various local plants called weeds of various kinds. It stays green all summer, stands up to grandchildren running merrily around, and I do not have to water it. Why would I want to change it?

It is hard to see here but I have outlined the area to be dug with a shovel by just driving it into the soil. As soon as I get the ok from my wife I can start digging. If it needs to be changed the interruption to the lawn is minimal and in a week's time you would not be able to see where I marked.

The new end to the bed will be in line with the clothes pole and now that I look at it, I realize that this should have been the goal all along. A second opinion is one of the best things you can have when landscaping, especially from others who have to live on the same property. In my case it helps to have a partner with strong ideas, love of color and the eyes of an artist. Her quilts are amazing.

The lines are a lot easier to see now with them being cut out with the shovel. I like to do a straight cut down and then one at an angle to meet it so as to remove a triangle of earth. Now it remains to dig the bed.

This part of the bed gets dug fairly quickly. Thankfully there were few roots to get through and those were mostly able to be cut through with a shovel. Once again it is time to get some forsythia to plant.