The mid-May flower bed and how to make a lasagna garden

I've talked about lasagna gardening for so long, it surprised me that no one knew what I was talking about.  So, before we look at the flower bed, I'll explain what a lasagna garden is.  It has nothing to do with what is grown in the garden, but how you build up and add layers of organic material that will "cook down" over time.  Some call it sheet composting, but I like lasagna better.  Think of it as a compost pile that is the size of your garden plot.

The benefits are huge, in that you don't have to dig or till, and weeds are practically non-existent.   You begin by laying down a layer of cardboard and/or several layers of newspaper that you wet as you go.  Be sure each layer is completely saturated before you go to the next layer.  Think of it as the sauce between layers of lasagna.

Now it's time to add your green layer, which is anything you might add to a compost pile, such as fruit and veggie scraps, coffee grounds, tea leaves and bags, and grass clippings.  Be sure this layer is completely wet before adding your brown layer.

The brown layer consists of hay, straw, pine needles, shredded junk mail, shredded newspapers, and leaves.  Wet completely and start over again.  This time, forget the cardboard, but add newspapers and manure (if you have it) before adding your green layer.  Then add your brown layer.  Do this as many times as you have sufficient fodder.  Your brown layer ideally should be twice as tall as your green layer, but don't let that stop you. This isn't rocket science.

When you get ready to plant, there will be few, if any, weeds because the cardboard and newspaper killed any grass that was underneath, while the mulch you have created from above keeps other weeds at bay.  You will water less because the composted soil/material holds the water better.  You will never need to fertilize as long as you maintain the organic layers, which will soon turn into compost.

Now you know what a lasagna garden is.  It's the only way to garden, in my opinion, but the limited amount of organic material I can get hold of each year has kept me from having the garden I truly want.

Much of my time on Monday and Tuesday of this past week were spent in my herb garden and flower bed.  This garden, I laughingly call my flower bed gets NO help.  I made the decision years ago that if it lived in this garden, it stayed.  If it didn't it wasn't meant to be.  This is a true Xeriscaped garden, or one that gets no water other than from nature.

I finished mowing, edging, and trimming late Tuesday afternoon,

as can be seen by the long shadows.

It was hard keeping my profile out of the photo, though, as I took photos of the bricks you can finally see again.

Next, it was time to sweep.

What I would give for a leaf blower.

Right before I took off for the various places I needed to visit on Wednesday (including buying a sewing machine needle), I took a few more shots of the bricks and my

front flower bed.   To orient you, the window to the left of the door in the photo goes to my craft room.  The window to the right of the door goes to my living/dining area.

I hope you think of this as art, because for me, it's become a bit of a chore.  Not so much the front, but the back and sides of the house.  And of course, I couldn't believe how much the front flower bed had grown in just a little over a month.

Thanks for the visit, which means all this hard work was so worthwhile.  Any questions about lasagna gardening or Xeriscaping will be gladly answered on YOUR blog.  Just ask.