Photo Courtesy, Janet Loughrey
When I saw this piece recently highlighted on the witty garden blog, Garden Rant, who in turn, saw it originally on Sunset’s fabulous garden blog, Fresh Dirt, it was another “aha” moment for me. It is worth mentioning yet again. How many of you want to “lose your lawn” and transform it into a more sustainable garden bed? You can do it in a very simple green organic way.
On Sunset’s Fresh Dirt blog, contributing editor Jim McCausland walks us through the step-by-step method, Portland Landscape Designer Margaret de Haas van Dorsser, uses to magically transform a lawn into a new garden bed simply by way of “composting” on top of your lawn and designated new garden bed, using layers of newspaper, manure, and a little time, Turn Your Lawn Into A Flower Bed. This is ingenious. No more hiring someone, adding chemicals, intensive labor, and fighting of missed seeds or grass. You can do it yourself, in a very safe green organic way, and it is easy on your pocketbook, too.
I’m just amazed at how effective green, simple, organic methods and tips work for your garden. It takes a little bit of digging, no pun intended, to find a simple, green, organic solution but the rewards are worth it. Before you start a new garden project try researching for a green organic simple solution. Chances are you will find one, and you will be be very surprised and pleased. Please comment if you have tried this method of transforming your lawn into a garden bed. Please share if you are on the band wagon to reduce your lawn area.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Last summer I read Patricia Lanza’s book Lasagna Gardening. She explains this method in easy to understand terms. If I HAD a bunch of grass this would be the way to go to convert over to a garden bed. However, I think this should work great even in areas that are just a big “weedy” and what I call “no man’s land” (my “back 40″). I have a pile of newspapers ready to go!
Great minds! We just posted a newsletter article about sheet mulching too – http://yardfairy.com/sheet-mulching.html
and I’m reading a book by Toby Hemenway called ‘Gaia’s Garden’ and he has a really good chapter all about this. I guess the time is ripe for us all to make these changes. Great post.
Diane, thanks for sharing your info, I’ll look for your article and recommended book. I just love this concept, it is so simple and easy. Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
Amy, yes you’re right, it doesn’t have to be pristine lawn. Active composting done right, should kill any seeds, too…..Thanks for sharing…VintageGardenGal
I am interested in espalier. do you have a printed copy of the talk to gave to the nursery on the basics of espalier?
Maddienne, if you go to the left side bar on my home page under categories, look for “trees” category. My talk was a combination of two of my posts under “trees”, The Art of Espalier Fruit Trees, and How To Fan Espalier a Tree. Both of those posts have detailed information for you.Thanks for your wonderful comment…VintageGardenGal.
I showed hubby the article. He’s concerned about termites. Termites love wood and thus newspaper in his mind. Does anyone have thoughts on this? We have battled termites in the recent past.
LeeAnn, I’ve never heard of having problems with composting and termites. An active compost is around 130F degrees, and kills seeds, and most insects. A compost bin should be away from your home in a convenient spot in your yard. Termites shouldn’t be attracted to newspaper, and if you have wood pieces large enough to attract termites, they are not small enough for compost piles and to break down. I use pine shavings, bedding from my chickens, and have never had problems with termites. My suggestion it to stay on top of a regular termite program for your home and garage, and begin composting or creating a flower bed by the composting method. I don’t think you will have a problem. Thanks for your great comment….VintageGardenGal