Next step for old flower area that loves weeds (flowers, lawn, landscaping)
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In the 90s I took about 30' of my back property line, tilled it and planted flowers and mulched. All was well.
Over the years, life, jobs, time, neighbors and the environment changed.
It got full of weeds, I cleaned it out and started over again. A neighbor cut down a tree letting in more light (yay!). Another neighbor accidentally (?) let some white mulberry trees grow (boo). SO messy.
I swear in 2009 I got a bad batch of mulch and have had more weeds imaginable since. I have since tilled it again, and in 2019 I dug everything up (again!), put down landscaping fabric for the first time.
Well that stuff is not a miracle fabric, although it doesn't like me putting a shovel through it. I'm working back there again today and completely gave up in one section and pulled the fabric up again and tossed it. I can work in more dirt and put new fabric down but damn, 3 years at best?
A lot of what I'm dealing with are weeds coming from the yards behind me. Both properties have sheds and no one goes behind their sheds I guess. Bittersweet, virginia creeper and a low growing vine thing whose name escapes me. But grass is getting in there too, and we had lined everything with railroad ties to keep the grass out. There are areas of the lawn grass won't grow in but it can't stay out of this area. (when I bought the house there were 60' of wild rose bushes back there - no grass)
What's my next step? I don't want to do stones. Black plastic? Plant more flowers so that the grass and weeds can't take hold? It's been a minimal flower bed for years because I kept losing things to weeds. Right now I have daylilies I want to plant back there. They usually do well but I just salvaged a small one from grass this morning.
I'm really tempted to remove it all but I do love sitting on the deck and seeing flowers back there!
It’s hard to get a good visual, it if you want to sit and enjoy the flowers, why not use landscape plastic instead of weed cloth. I’ve read about it and am anxious to try it at the next house, it’s supposed to last a lot longer. Put down mulch, then a variety of potted flowering plants. Aside from watering, it’s an easy way to get a nice look without constant weeding.
If you don’t want a weed cover, in front of my barn, there are some dirt patches and I planted mint beds for a filler. Mint is aggressive, easy to care for and you can use it in tons of recipes. You might try a flowering ground cover that’s aggressive. The former owner here had planted a small bishops weed, it’s a pretty green and white ground cover and I used it for a raised bed by the back porch. It has a pretty cottage garden look and it grows aggressively and chokes out grass. That one little plant has filled several beds, it grows and grows.
Taz22, I'm really thinking plastic is the way to go.
I have some plants back there that I don't want to lose. A mini climbing rose from a company now out of business and some oh boy.... there goes the memory... spring flowering plants that had been planted by the original owners. And daylilies and milkweed which are easy to move if I go that route.
I had a number of large pots offered to me and I considered putting them there and letting the area turn to grass again around the pots, and just put flowers in the pots, but I think they will be difficult to mow and trim around.
I don't want an aggressive anything that can't be contained.
Might want to reconsider those large pots. Get a ground cover going that will choke out the weeks, then put all you gorgeous flowers in pots. Drip system keeps them watered, weeds are minimized, you are gorgeous flowers to look at, ...
Might want to reconsider those large pots. Get a ground cover going that will choke out the weeks, then put all you gorgeous flowers in pots. Drip system keeps them watered, weeds are minimized, you are gorgeous flowers to look at, ...
It's all good.
The pots are still an option... too far away for a drip system but easy enough to water.
Taz22, I'm really thinking plastic is the way to go.
I have some plants back there that I don't want to lose. A mini climbing rose from a company now out of business and some oh boy.... there goes the memory... spring flowering plants that had been planted by the original owners. And daylilies and milkweed which are easy to move if I go that route.
I had a number of large pots offered to me and I considered putting them there and letting the area turn to grass again around the pots, and just put flowers in the pots, but I think they will be difficult to mow and trim around.
I don't want an aggressive anything that can't be contained.
You’re right, it would be a pain to mow around the pots, use the plastic, top with mulch and put what’s in the ground in large pots. I hear ya about weeds, there is nothing worse than weeding, so this would be a good solution. With pots, you can move the spring flowering ones somewhere and put summer blooming plants in place of.
I have the bishops weed in raised beds, otherwise it would take over. The drip system is a great idea for me if not you.
You’re right, it would be a pain to mow around the pots, use the plastic, top with mulch and put what’s in the ground in large pots. I hear ya about weeds, there is nothing worse than weeding, so this would be a good solution. With pots, you can move the spring flowering ones somewhere and put summer blooming plants in place of.
I have the bishops weed in raised beds, otherwise it would take over. The drip system is a great idea for me if not you.
I have a few of the smaller pots already and love them for annuals.
As I was sitting outside today looking at my already flowering Rose of Sharon and butterfly bush, I wonder about more bird and butterfly plants. So I'm going to see if any of those will work in the pots, or ground. Either way it's looking like plastic is the key.
Drip systems are easy to set up. Run a hose to the area and set up a drip system off it.
I like them in general, and had one setup on the deck for years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GotHereQuickAsICould
Plastic covered in mulch or rock would work. So would all sorts of ground cover plants.
I think plastic with mulch for me. I have small rocks in another area and hate them, they get all over the place! And no one wants to take them off my hands lol
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