Gardening idea – no weeds

July 7, 2020        Gardening idea – no weeds

         I can’t take credit for this idea – except to point out that now that I have been ordering so much on line because I can’t go to stores to buy the most mundane things, for example:

         1.  Bobby pins – I went to all the dollar stores, and then I searched the inventory of Walmart and found none.  I needed the long ones so I ordered them on line, below is pictured the box they came in – DAH – something wrong with a padded envelope?  What a waste!

         2.  I also needed thread as I have used up all the thread I purchased for the yo yo project (bedspread).  I make yo yos when it gets to hot or I am tired from the garden. Same situation, ended up ordering a half a dozen on line to keep me busy.

         3.  And, then books or whatever else I order on line arrives in corrugated boxes.  So, I had a collection of these little boxes and collected all of them, broken them down and took them off to recycling center.

         Just a couple of days later, I was prowling the internet to find what kills certain weeds when I ran up on a wonderful video – called a HACK, instead of a garden tip.   No, I didn’t keep the website address – but honestly – there are hundreds of YouTube videos on this subject and on mulch versus cardboard versus landscape fabric.  Trust me, I am beyond landscape fabric, it makes a mess in the gardens.

         It was one of those “light bulb” moments – gee, I can do that – and I started to save the little boxes to use, one at a time to kill off weeds and improve the garden areas that are “rough” and not read to use.

         Instead of spraying weed kill – take your corrugated boxes and fold them flat – double thickness is best - and then dump mulch on top of it, being sure to lap the edges so that the light doesn’t penetrate.  The process creates instant neatness and better quality future planting areas when the cardboard  breaks down in a season or two.

         Take out all staples and don’t use printed cardboard.  A row of the below sized boxes, can neaten up a little area at a time – plop them flat, overlap and then dump a bag of landscape mulch on top – viola – things look better because it looks neat.

         Then – next spring – plant something you love or not.

         Sometimes less is better than more in the garden; think focal point with lots of bareness around it. Right? Right!

         Good gardening to you.