Anise Hyssop |
I laid about 200 Tulips and Crocuses down. These are early blooming flowers that will come up ahead of the others. Using a lot of the cardboard from the move, I sheet mulched the area along the drive way about 4 feet wide over the top of the bulbs. The sheet mulching kills the grass without tilling. On top of the sheet mulch I put two inches of compost and then two inches of mulch.
I took some river rocks from the quarry next door to us to make a bed liner.
Early Summer as Gladiolus are flowering |
Around the driveway side edge of the bed, I planted herb starts (Lemon Balm, Oregano, Lemon Thyme, Orange Thyme, Cilantro, Anise Hyssop, Tarragon, Sage, Parsely, Marjoram, and some green onions that were going bad in the kitchen. Every day we walk this Zone 1 path at least a dozen times to the cars or barn.
On the back side of the bed towards the lawn I planted Lupine (nitrogen fixer), Salal, Bay Leaf, and Pineapple Guava. This is a less traveled path because it is against the lawn, but is looked at every day. The bulbs mentioned above are in the middle of the bed.
Currently the Gladiolus are dying off and the wild flowers are in bloom. For the last, 5-6 weeks the 100s of honey and bumble bees at a time can be seen foraging the herbs and flowers.