Our Landscape Scrapbook
We'll keep this page updated as time allows so you can watch the progress on
various jobs.
Based on the horseshoe flowerbed concept for our new shop here in Balch Springs,
designed by colleague Rob Randolph, landscape
architect, we have laid out a giant horseshoe and added to his design, a smaller cottage style
garden directly in front of the old farm house. Both will contain mostly native and drought tolerant plants. Keeping
in tradition with cottage gardens, we'll probably add a few veggies and for sure
there is a place for herbs as many are very drought tolerant and make excellent
plants in a xeric garden setting.
We can use this as a bit of a lesson on soil prep if you watch closely.
First, I used a string and/or water hose to lay out the shapes of the beds.
Rather than spray painting the grass, I thought it would be easier in case I
wanted to change something before the digging started.
These guys in the photos have been preparing
flowerbeds for many years with another colleague of mine, John Thomas of
Tropical John's Gardens. They
first removed about an inch or so of weeds/grass from the top. Step 2
was to lightly till and remove any large root systems of the Bermuda or
other weeds.
Then, they added 4" of the wonderful compost from
Soil Building Systems.
Then, they added a 40lb bag of lava sand, green sand, molasses, and Bioform Dry fertilizer
into each bed before tilling it all into the top 4-6 or so inches of the native soil. Keep
in mind, the native soil on this old homestead is closer to sandy loam with a
little red clay. Fortunately, we're not on black gumbo.
When we plant, we'll add earthworm castings and depending on the plant some corn meal
to help ward off any fungal problems.
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Day 1
Getting the digging started. Sandy Loam soil type makes the job a little easier - if it weren't for the thick layer of clover! |
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Day 1
Digging out the top inch or so of weeds and native ground cover. |
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Day 1
Here is the biggest horseshoe in Balch Springs! |
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Day 1
The top inch of soil has been removed along with the grass, clover etc. - now to haul it back to the compost pile where it will break down and be used to spread over the pasture. Don't haul any of this off your site when you plant. Just pile it up and let it break down - into compost. |
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Day 1
The entry directly in front of the residence, which is an old farm house undergoing a bit of a facelift, will be an old fashioned style cottage garden. You can see the outline and first step of weed/grass removal has been done. |
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GOOD HELP!
These guys tore it up in one afternoon! Day 2 is tilling and restoring the soil with compost and amendments. Great work guys! |
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Day 1
This is what 10 yards of Professional Compost from our friends at Soil Building Systems looks like upon delivery. Wait till we till it into these beds! Look out earthworms - here comes a meal! |
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Day 2
A hardpan layer had developed under the clover and other native ground covers. This site had not been worked in several years. |
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Day 2
Tilling up the hardpan. |
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TILLER RACES!
The guys tearing up the "track"! |
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Day 2
Soil amendments included lava sand, corn gluten meal, Bioform Dry, greensand, and molasses. |
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Day 2
Added compost of 4-6 inches. |
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Day 2
The amendments are added to the top of the compost.... |
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Day 2
....the amendments are tilled into the native soil with the compost. |
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Day 2
The beds are then raked out in order to provide good drainage. |
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Day 3
Raised beds awaiting plants. |
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Day 3
Raised up about 4" for drainage and good aeration. |
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Day 3
Here is the newly prepared and awaiting flower beds at the new location. Now all we need to do is add plants! |
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Day 3
A lovely new native stone pathway to the residence. All of those stones were already on site. |
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