I Did It Again..




After vowing never to order vast quantities of garden mulch or compost ever again, due to the compost barrowing episode that nearly killed me, I did it again. In my defence, it was four cubic metres of mulch that was my favourite kind of all.. free! Two years ago, when I moved into this house, I had a very nice firm of tree surgeons come in and surgically remove a number of trees, which let sunshine into the house and enabled a lovely, lovely deck to be built. Anyway, recently I met up with the tree surgeon again at a local film night, and asked him what they did with their tree chippings if the client didn't keep them. He told me they drop them off at a local garden centre to be turned into compost OR they can drop them off in interested parties' front yards for mulching projects, if said interested parties were on their regular route, and also could be ready for a mulch delivery on the spur of the moment. Turns out the tree firm's truck depot is several streets away. Do you see the stars aligning here? Well, last Friday four metres of tree chippings turned up on my street, ready for me to barrow down the seventeen stairs and six corners again to begin to fill up my jungle garden with mulch. Happy days. Hard work, but happy days.

Here is a little garden bed next to my new deck. I planted nectarine trees, grapes and a Chilean guava. Until this week they have been growing surrounded by knee high weeds, but now they have a cardboard and mulch blanket instead. And some rock edging. All tucked up. One day I would like to train the nectarine branches into an arch over the pathway. They will shade my kitchen window from the summer sun. Garden dreams:)


Comments

simplelife said…
what could you do? it was free!
guess it's just lucky that you live on the downside of the street, preventing the need to barrow it UP to the backyard.

cheers Kate
Treaders said…
We're heading into spring here and your gardening posts get me all kinda antsy to start. Actually it already feels like spring but I know well enough not to be fooled as we can easily have snow for the next 2 months. But all that free mulch … wow. Lucky you!
Jo said…
Kate, you are so right! I hadn't thought of that, and I will be grateful every time I only haul an empty wheelbarrow back up the hill. Love it!

Anna, spring will do that to you! We deal with frosts in spring, but not with snow! I am excited for your new garden:) Nothing more fun!
Lucinda said…
Do it a few more times and your arms will be guns and you will not notice it!!! Maybe???

I love your gardening stories.
Jo said…
Lucinda, yes, either that or I will fall over dead. One or the other...
Fernglade Farm said…
Hi Jo,

What joy! Four cubic metres of tree, soil and garden feed! Yay for free stuff. Hopefully you didn't move it all in one day this time?

From what I've seen of that stuff, over winter when the moisture in the soil picks up and there is still some warmth in the ground, mycellium and hyphae (big words confuse me?) will spread through the mulch (below the surface) and it will begin to look grey and feel warm to the touch - which should also extend your growing season. You might even see the white threads running through the mulch (the hyphae try not to break them). After two years there will be a black sandy well drained loam. Good stuff and you can grow anything in it. Happy days! And good soil makes it look like us gardeners know what we are doing!

Chris
Jo said…
Chris, you are so right re the mycelium etc. This is one reason I am converting all my garden to a woody mulch system - that fungus is so good for the soil in so many ways. All the plants are happier growing in a no-dig, mulched bed I have found. And no, I didn't move it all in one day, but a leisurely stroll over three days this time. Walk in the park:)

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