A New Garden

Another new garden for Tiger Gardens and I have to tell you that this new garden thing is getting tougher and tougher. I can hardly find spots to create any gardens let alone new ones but somehow I manage to carve out spots for special trees and/or shrubs I happen to bring home to the garden. Sometimes I wonder if every little lost shrub or tree sends me vibes and somehow manages to trick me into tossing it into my car to bring home because I honestly don't need another tree or shrub. This little Cornus kousa is, of course, the exception. I simply needed it; plain and simple. That plus the fact it was very cheap (less than $20 for a five foot plus tree) absolutely convinced me I needed a new Korean dogwood.



Stalking my garden looking for just the right spot was not leaving me in a happy way. I simply could not find the right spot that would work for both me and the small tree so I made a new garden. This garden is probably my smallest garden at just 10 feet by about 5 feet. I needed to tuck it between an existing patio and two other gardens and still had to have enough room to mow around the new garden comfortably. It took a bit of adjusting but I was able to fit in this new garden and completed it one day last week (thank goodness for gardening days!). 


Oftentimes I am asked how to make and/or create a new garden. I have found my procedure to work well and while I've shared it before it bears repeating for any new gardeners out there in cyberland. You must remove the sod prior to planting! Don't spray Roundup, cover with mulch and plant. Don't rototill all the sod then plant and mulch. No, do it right and remove the sod. Removing the sod has multiple benefits. First and foremost you have cut down about 95% of your weed competition just by removing the sod. This will save you countless hours in the future of the garden and ensure your plants get off to a good start. Secondly you can then transplant that sod to a low area or an area that is bare of sod. This ensures nothing goes to waste and everything is reused or repurposed in the garden. Thirdly, you can dig the soil up nicely and add your amendments while the garden area is bare. Double digging a garden is ideal but as I have demonstrated (and will continue to do so in future posts) in the past you do not have to double dig all gardens. I did not double dig this garden and I suspect it will do just fine. 


This new garden is called my Yellow Garden. Its focal point is the new Korean dogwood (Cornus kousa). On the east side (closest to the camera) are nine 'Domino' coreopsis (I purchased three pots at $2 per quart pot and was able to split each pot into three plants), outlining the garden are yellow monkey grass plants. On the northern side of the Korean dogwood are several yellow hostas and a 'Rainbow' leucothoe. I will post pictures of this garden as it matures. Some of my favorite posts to do are the ones where I make new gardens because I am able to really see how things have changed for these gardens over the years. Right now this garden is not much to look at but I can assure you that in one year you will not even recognize this as a new garden....


in the garden....
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden