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Turn this into a flower bed?
G255
Posts: 12
Please do you know what would be the best steps for making this a flower bed? There's a camelia and a blue spruce there. The blue sprlive doesn't seem happy wherever I put it but the camelia seems to like it. Rhododendron there too..
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Posts
Hi G255. Did this use to be a path?
Hello! It wasnt a path .it's a new build. The "soil" is good but very clay'y! when they did the turf on the lawn they had a mega rotivator machine that left nice soft topsoil. I can't do that with this little spot... my choices maybe:
1) dig it out and replace with topsoil?
2) keep breaking it up until small enough to plant in (hoe)?
3) mix in some manure (don't fancy this one but I guess if it is the best option I could deal with it!!)
there arn't many stones.. Maybe it's just a matter of putting my back into it but thout maybe someone could suggest tools(other than a fork and how) or anything to make it easier?
Add lots of compost.
That'll create perfect soil.
Good morning G255.
I am in a new build too (but 'new' many years ago). I have a similar piece runnning along both sides of the property. One piece doesn't get a lot of sun and there are places that get waterlogged and grow moss. It faces North - the camellia, hydrangea and rhododendron grow well but I am still working on flowers. I have some Iris, primulas, lily of the valley.
I am new to gardening - there will be more experienced gardeners on here who will have good ideas , so I will follow this.
PS Manure from Garden centres is rotted and doesn't pong (grin)
Well-made garden compost would be good I agree Darren
- but if the Poster doesn't have a compost heap I don't think adding bags of multi-purpose potting compost from the garden centre will do much good - it dries out and goes powdery within a short while and doesn't really improve the structure of the soil, in my experience.
I'd get some bags of well-rotted farmyard manure for the garden centre - it's not unpleasant and smelly, honest! Quite ok to tip out and fork thickly over the bed - within a short while the worms will have incorporated it into the soil and your growing conditions will have improved hugely.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Lovely! Thanks so much everyone for your answers. I shall get some well rotted manure from the garden centre and dig it in. Not sure about the camillia drying out as that spot gets very very boggy in the rain..
Thanks, Verdun. I like the idea of the lamias and lithodoras.
.,,,Kalmia not lamia. (Can spell, can't type)