Winter Doldrums, Quackgrass Infested Garden Beds, and New Garden Plans

The original Fine Feathered Friends Garden

As we wind down from the busyness of Christmas, and the days are still far from being noticeably longer, it's easy for the winter doldrums to come visiting. The good thing about winter doldrums, though? I do my best planning for the next season's garden during those long, cold winter evenings. I have one entirely blank canvas to plan for this year.

Last year, I removed all salvageable plants from the Fine Feathered Friends garden. There were two reasons for all that digging. One was that the tree, which was nothing but a sapling when that garden was first planted, has become a nice, large shade tree. I appreciate that shade, but my sun loving plants don't think it's such a great thing. The second reason was that, in spite of my best efforts to eradicate it, the quackgrass (Elytrigia repens) had gotten a strong foot hold in much of the bed. The added shade requires a different kind of planting. The quackgrass required more work.

Quackgrass plant (internet photo)

I dug all the plants that I wanted to keep and knocked as much of the soil off as I could. Then, I took the garden hose and washed the remaining soil off the root ball. Very close inspection of the root ball followed to seek out the tell - tale roots of the quackgrass. Once I was sure even the tiniest segments of the quackgrass root were gone, I replanted all plants that I could use in a nursery bed. They will reside there until I have a new home for them, either at Wiese Acres, or in someone else's garden.

My next step was to take out the glyphosate spray and give anything green left in the Fine Feathered Friends garden a good bath in the herbicide.

I reserve the use of chemicals for only the toughest cases. Trust me - quackgrass fits the bill. It has rhizomatous roots, which will start a new plant from the tiniest sliver of root material. That's how I got the stuff in the garden in the first place. We brought some pulverized black dirt in to enrich the soil a bit. Well, in the pulverizing process, about a million quackgrass roots were spread throughout the entire batch. And every single one of them started in my garden!  Digging them all out would have taken years and probably still have been an exercise in futility. So, desperate times call for desperate measures - it was time to put aside my aversion to herbicides and get them to work for me. After the initial glyphosate dose, I watched carefully for the remainder of the summer and sprayed any evidence of new quackgrass growth as quickly as it appeared.

Quackgrass roots (internet photo)

In late summer, when I was satisfied that the last piece of quackgrass had met its demise, I spread a one inch layer of peat moss and two inches of composted, sterilized manure over the entire garden.  I tilled that in to the existing soil and leveled the garden spot. Then, I recruited my husband to help me lay landscape fabric and a thin layer of cedar mulch over the entire area to keep any stray weed seeds from landing there throughout the fall and winter.

Next spring, I'll rake aside the mulch, lift the landscape fabric and watch for awhile to see if any quackgrass dares to show its face. Quackgrass is a cool season grass, so any growth that might show up will likely begin in early spring. If any of the nasty stuff does grow, I will force myself to be patient with my planting and either dig the offenders out, or use some more glyphosate.  If I have to do more spraying, I will have to delay my planting for a couple weeks to make sure no residual herbicide comes into contact with the fragile new plantings.

Then, I will be able to start planting. Before that, though, I will have all the fun of figuring out what plants I want to place where in that space. Many of the plants I put there will come from other gardens at Wiese Acres. Half the fun of planning a new garden space, though, is to seek out new plants or new varieties of old favorites that will work in that space. The seed and plant catalogs have begun arriving, so I'm ready for some fun!

I'll keep you posted as I decide what lovelies will go in that space.

An Update on the Memorial Garden

The Memorial Garden at the care center where Mom spent her last two years was meant to be. It didn't seem like it during all the many, many hours of sweat, tears, blisters, aching muscles and joints, and probably even a little blood. Once that garden was planted, though, it took off like crazy. I think all the loving attention from the residents and volunteers probably had something to do with it. And maybe, just maybe, those residents, like Mom, who would have enjoyed it so much but never had that opportunity, smiled down on it just enough to nurture those plants into something amazing in its very first year.

Men's theme garden

Lady's theme garden

This is the newest garden  and is just getting started - the Bird Park

My brother made these plant markers out of sickle mower sections and my niece hand painted all the plant names. 

The walkway entering the garden courtyard

A welcoming entrance

Mom and Dad's memorial

Another view of the Lady's theme garden

There are lots of hostas and heuchera in the shady areas

A Bill Reid rose flanks the side of the gazebo 

Some of the plants we transplanted to the Memorial garden had their start in Mom's gardens on the farm

And of course, no self-respecting farm wife's garden would have been without a few chickens

The gazebo offers a beautiful, comfortable place for visiting at any time of the day or night.

In September, the care center hosted a Volunteer Appreciation Gala to recognize those who helped make the garden a reality and to dedicate the garden for the on-going use of residents and their families, both now and for years to come. The chairman of the care center board opened his comments with "I must admit, when this project was first proposed, I was a Doubting Thomas. But, I should have never doubted the Thomas Family and the dedication and perseverance they had to see this dream become a reality."

Yes! We did it!! Mom and Dad / Grandma and Grandpa would be so proud. Thank you to my family for sticking with this through all the trials, hardships, tribulations, and the many, many hours of sweating, freezing, and aching muscles. It is a wonderful legacy for a wonderful family.

Summer Tour of Wiese Acres

Well, it's been a crazy summer. Between building the memorial garden at the care center and managing Wiese Acres, I haven't had a moment to spare. Thankfully, Mother Nature has been pretty kind and kept everything nicely watered for us, which saves a huge amount of time. The downside of plenty of rain is plenty of weeds. I think I finally have the worst of them under control for this year. Maintenance should be a bit easier going forward, and I can take it a little easier, even when company is coming to visit.

And we have had plenty of visitors this year. First, a family gathering over the 4th of July weekend. Then, some friends who requested a private tour. One week, a local news station was out to film an episode of their gardening segment, called Plant Talk. The next week, the state master gardener group was out for a tour. Talk about stress! But, it sure gave me the nudge I needed to get out there and really get that work done.

Here is a pictorial tour of the results of that work. I hope you enjoy the photos.