The weather is being more cooperative, so I put in two of the four planned raised beds. I think the third will go in this week too! I also have put in a "rock garden" of sorts as a walkway from the house to the garage planted with thyme. And I repotted and brought outdoors the scented geraniums I overwintered inside.
So first to the raised beds
Here they are in place. We put cardboard in the bottom to stop weed and grass penetration then filled them with a soil mix of my own creation.
Soil Mix:
1 part top soil (in this case from the rain garden - see previous post)
1 part bagged soil (I would use leaf and other compost, but we have not lived here long enough to produce any yet, so I bought bags of "raised bed or vegetable garden soil" to add to my top soil)
1/2 part compost - in this case Moo-nure, which is aged cow manure. I find mushroom compost gets to hot for the roots of some plants so I have stopped using it as much.
I spread the top soil, the bag soil , then top soil again, then compost and raked it all together in the bed.
Then I let it sit for a week. I might have watered it also, but we had rain on the way so I did not bother. In fact we had 3 inches of rain over several days.
With that impending rain, I felt it was the perfect time to plant those wild flower seeds, so I sprinkled more than a dozen different kinds of seed, from Sunflowers to larkspur on the prepared soil in the side yard.
You can almost see the seedlings poking up through the dirt.
Repotting Geraniums
I brought the scented geraniums in for winter and placed them in a sunny window., but they get leggy so when it comes time to take them back outside you have to do some extra things.
Steps to repotting a geranium (also works for other wintered over herbs, like rosemary and the like)
Step 1. Make a potting mix just for the geraniums. They like a sandy soil, so even if I use pre-made potting mix, I add course sand (also known as builders sand) to the mixture so the soil can dry out properly for the geraniums.
Soil Mix for Containers:
1 part peat or coconut coir
1 part leaf mold or other decaying compost / soil
1 part nutrient rich compost like worm casings or commercial aged manure
1 part course sand (omit sand if planting other herbs of flowers)
Step 2. Fill the new container at least 3/4 full with soil and reserve more for filling in around the plant.
Step 3. Remove the geranium from its current container and loosen the roots, removing as much existing soil as possible.
Step 4. Place in new pot and fill in soil around the plant being sure to cover all of the root with soil. Firm the soil around the plant, but leave it a bit spongy. Leave about 1/2 to 1 inch space at the top of the pot to catch watering water and allow it to soak into the soil in future waterings.
Step 5. Water thoroughly, then place in a shady location for a few days before moving to the sunshine for the summer of outdoor living.
So first to the raised beds
Here they are in place. We put cardboard in the bottom to stop weed and grass penetration then filled them with a soil mix of my own creation.
Soil Mix:
1 part top soil (in this case from the rain garden - see previous post)
1 part bagged soil (I would use leaf and other compost, but we have not lived here long enough to produce any yet, so I bought bags of "raised bed or vegetable garden soil" to add to my top soil)
1/2 part compost - in this case Moo-nure, which is aged cow manure. I find mushroom compost gets to hot for the roots of some plants so I have stopped using it as much.
I spread the top soil, the bag soil , then top soil again, then compost and raked it all together in the bed.
Then I let it sit for a week. I might have watered it also, but we had rain on the way so I did not bother. In fact we had 3 inches of rain over several days.
With that impending rain, I felt it was the perfect time to plant those wild flower seeds, so I sprinkled more than a dozen different kinds of seed, from Sunflowers to larkspur on the prepared soil in the side yard.
You can almost see the seedlings poking up through the dirt.
Repotting Geraniums
I brought the scented geraniums in for winter and placed them in a sunny window., but they get leggy so when it comes time to take them back outside you have to do some extra things.
Steps to repotting a geranium (also works for other wintered over herbs, like rosemary and the like)
Step 1. Make a potting mix just for the geraniums. They like a sandy soil, so even if I use pre-made potting mix, I add course sand (also known as builders sand) to the mixture so the soil can dry out properly for the geraniums.Soil Mix for Containers:
1 part peat or coconut coir
1 part leaf mold or other decaying compost / soil
1 part nutrient rich compost like worm casings or commercial aged manure
1 part course sand (omit sand if planting other herbs of flowers)
 |
| mixed soil with organic matter, soil and sand |
Step 2. Fill the new container at least 3/4 full with soil and reserve more for filling in around the plant.
Step 3. Remove the geranium from its current container and loosen the roots, removing as much existing soil as possible.
Step 4. Place in new pot and fill in soil around the plant being sure to cover all of the root with soil. Firm the soil around the plant, but leave it a bit spongy. Leave about 1/2 to 1 inch space at the top of the pot to catch watering water and allow it to soak into the soil in future waterings.
Step 5. Water thoroughly, then place in a shady location for a few days before moving to the sunshine for the summer of outdoor living.
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