O R G A N I C W E E D C O N T R O L
Weeds spoil the look of a flower bed, rob valuable
nutrients from the soil and can be a general
nuisance. Herbicides are effective in controlling
them, but are hazardous to the environment, not to
mention their potential effect on young children.
Here are some organic methods for controlling
weeds!
INSTANT GARDEN IN TOUGH SPOTS
Most gardeners have a place or two in their yards
where they just can't get anything to grow. Maybe
it's a spot below a resource-hogging tree, or
maybe it's a utility area with compacted soil or
even concrete. One solution is to create a
seasonal splash of color by growing a selection
of annual flowers directly in a bag of soil
placed in that location. Here's how it works.
Take a large, unopened bag of potting soil to
the spot where you want to create your instant
garden. Then, cut four to six slits across one
side for drainage. Flip the bag over (make sure
you don't allow the soil to fly out) and cut
several Xs in the other side of the bag. Now,
just plant those annuals inside the Xs, as
though the bag were an actual garden bed. You can
arrange as many of these bags as necessary to
create the desired effect. You may also want to
mulch the bags to create the illusion that the
annuals are growing out of the ground. The slits
in the bottom of the bag will allow excess
moisture to drain out, but the plastic will do a
good job of conserving moisture, cutting down on
your watering chores.
PROTECTING SHARP TOOLS
To be truly effective, some garden tools need to
be good and sharp. Unless you're dealing with the
fluffiest soil, you're going to work awfully hard
if you have to cultivate and dig with a dull hoe
or shovel. Unfortunately, tools can get blunt in
a hurry if they get tossed in the shed or stood
on end in your garage. Here's a cheap, simple way
to help protect the working ends of those tools.
Cut a piece of old garden hose and slit it
lengthwise. Then, fit it over the blade of your
hoe or along the bottom of a flat shovel. If you
need to protect a round shovel, you can work the
hose around the edge of the blade and then secure
it with a piece of rope or a bungee cord.
GROUND COVER PLUS FLOWERS
A few months ago, we described one of the best,
all-around ground covers:
ajuga. This groundcover spreads quickly and will
thrive in either sun or shade in well-drained
soil. Depending on the cultivar, you may have
purple or variegated foliage, with blue, white,
or pink flower spikes in late spring. But that
Although ajuga is an aggressive grower that
doesn't share space very well (which is why it's
so effective at keeping out weeds), you can dig
down between its dense roots and set four-inch
pots of impatiens down among the foliage. The
pots will allow the impatiens to thrive and won't
interfere with the ajuga, adding bits of color
among the dark green-to-bronze leaves of the
groundcover.
