 |
Garden journal entry |
 |
Just after replanting - everything's still a bit messy |
October 21, 2018. As I predicted in my journal post last year, it wouldn't be long before the rock garden would see another expansion. And sure enough, this weekend was that time. Much has happened between that post a year ago and now: unhoustonly cold weather struck in January, setting back (or outright killing) many of the more tender plants in the rock garden; a general garden expansion (a.k.a. lawn eradication effort) in spring transformed the rock garden from an area bordered by lawn to an island within a larger border (with adjacent xeric nursery area); and that border became overgrown with self-seeding salvias and talinums, largely hiding the rockery from view. Meanwhile, bermudagrass from the behind-the-fence neighbors' yard kept invading the garden. It was time for the rock garden, which had been built up only slightly from the surrounding area, to gain some significant elevation, and expand forward in doing so. Since the rock garden backs into a fence (not a proper support for soil), the first step was building a low wall using cinderblocks to serve as a backstop and bermudagrass barrier. Next, a surprising amount of sandy soil was required, to build up to the top of the wall and gently slope downward toward the enclosing border. Finally, the assortment of stone (mostly leftover pieces from construction stonework in our neighborhood) was arranged to define planting pockets and outline the general perimeter of the area, before replanting the plants salvaged from the area before the project started. A weekend's worth of work, well spent – now I have a place to plant those agave, yucca, and rain lily seedlings that have been waiting in pots all year. I wouldn't mind if this winter were milder, so that even the tender tenants have a chance to come into their own next year... |
Last modified:
September 09, 2009
Contact me
|