Free Fertilizer!

Did you Say Free?

Usually the word "Free" is quick to gain your attention and in this day and age is often hard to find. When it comes to our gardens anything that we can get for free is a great find. One such item is a free fertilizer that is a byproduct of one of the most popular drinks in the world. That's right. I am talking about coffee. More specifically I am talking about the byproduct of making coffee which are the coffee grounds themselves.

Where to Get Them

Do you or someone you know have a caffeine/coffee problem? Although I am not a coffee drinker I do work in a corporate type office in which there are multiple pots of coffee being brewed at any given point throughout the work day. For the most part these grounds are usually thrown away or washed down the sink as they are considered a waste product. One statistic states that Starbucks alone, in the USA apparently produced coffee waste to the equivalent to the weight of 4 x 747 planes in just one year. This means that these grounds can usually be found for free. In my office I am usually able to fill a 1 gallon milk jug every day with used grounds. That quickly adds up. If you are not located in an office environment you may want to check with your local coffee shop. Often times these shops have green initiatives in which they set aside or package the grounds for local gardeners. Usually the grounds or free or for a small fee that is usually donated to some kind of charity. If you don't see them being offered in your local coffee shop then just ask the friendly barista. Being a regular or buying something from their establishment will usually help the process along. What could be better than something that is free, beneficial, and helps to reduce waste? Its a win all around.

This is a picture of my homemade milk jug coffee ground hauler. This helps me get the grounds from the office to the house without making a mess.  Did I mention that it was also free?

And Why Coffee Grounds?

So why would I want coffee grounds anyway? For starters they contain useful amounts of phosphorus and potassium. They are also a low level source of nitrogen. They contain minor amounts of calcium, magnesium, copper, and other trace minerals, carbohydrates, sugars, some vitamins, and some caffeine. They also help to encourage microbial growth in the soil.

Nitrogen: 2.28 percent

Phosphorus: 0.06 percent

Potassium: 0.6 percent

Keep in mind that coffee grounds are slightly acidic. A neutral pH is 7. Coffee reportedly has a pH of anywhere from 5.2 to 6.9 depending on the type of coffee and how it is prepared. The lower the pH, the more acidic it is. Most plants prefer to be slightly acidic to neutral in the 5.8 to 7 range. Most municipal tap water is kept slightly alkaline (pH greater than 7) to inhibit microorganism growth. So the acidity of the coffee is either not enough to really worry about or will help to keep the pH in the desired slightly acidic pH range.

Coffee grounds can also be used as a pest deterrent. Most people will encircle the base of a plant with used coffee grounds as a pest barrier. The theory is that the caffeine in the grounds negatively affects these pests so they will avoid the soil where the grounds were found. Some of these pests that it has been found useful against include: ants, pill bugs, snails, slugs. In studies it was found that a 1 to 2 percent caffeine solution killed most slugs and snails in two days. Concentrations as low as 0.01 percent repelled them. A cup of coffee contains about 0.05 percent or more caffeine. You can also broadcast the grounds at 2 - 5 lbs per 100 sqft to help run the pests out of the area.

If you have a vermicompost  bin and are raising earthworms you can also use the grounds to food. Earthworms are very fond of coffee grounds for some reason.

How Do You Apply?

 As mentioned, coffee grounds are especially good for acid loving plants like tomatoes, roses, azaleas, blueberries, evergreens, camellias, and some fruit trees but they are also helpful to the non-acid loving plants as well. Just keep in mind not to add un-brewed grounds directly to plants. Before they are brewed the grounds are too acidic and nitrogen rich so there is a potential to burn the plants. 

When applying coffee grounds directly to the soil they can be utilized at rates similar to other organic amendments. Usually a rate of 10-20 lbs (dry) per 1000 sqft will work best.

You can also dilute the grounds with water for a gentle fast acting liquid fertilizer. Use about a half pound can of wet grounds in a five gallon bucket of water and allow it to "brew" for a little bit then apply it around the plants.

Don't forget that the grounds can also be added directly into the compost bin. Don't worry about separating out the filters. Just add them filters and all. Coffee grounds have a carbon to nitrogen ratio of around 20:1 and because the grounds are rich in nitrogen they will provide the bacteria the energy needed to turn the organic matter into compost. This energy will help raise and maintain higher temperatures in the compost pile for longer periods of time which aids in killing pathogens as well.

Other Thoughts?

 Below are some additional unverified ways in which you could potentially use the coffee grounds. However you use them just remember to have fun!

1. Soften and add shine to hair. When washing your hair, rub coffee grounds through wet hair and rinse. For brown hair, coffee grounds add highlights.

2. Use coffee grounds as an exfoliant for skin. Pat on skin, massage over skin, rinse.

3. Add coffee grounds to your skin mask beauty routine.

4. Make homemade tattoos (temporary) with henna and coffee grounds.

5. Fertilize plants. Old coffee grounds are nutrient-rich for plants that thrive in an acidic soil.

6. Add used coffee grounds to the pots of indoor plants.

7. Work used coffee grounds into your garden soil before seed planting. After your plants start to emerge, work in coffee grounds near the plants. Used coffee grounds are said to repel snails and slugs as well as adding nutrients to the soil.

8. Increase your carrot and radish harvest by mixing seeds with dry coffee grounds before planting the seeds.

9. Use coffee grounds to repel ants.

10. Keep cats from using your garden as a kitty box by spreading used coffee grounds and orange peels throughout flower beds.

11. Deodorize a freezer. Place a bowl with used coffee grounds in the freezer to remove unwanted odors. Add a few drops of vanilla to coffee grounds.

12. Rub coffee grounds on hands to get rid of smells from chopping or cutting up pungent foods.

13. Make a used coffee grounds sachet. Fill old nylons or cheescloth with dry used coffee grounds. Hang in closets to absorb odors.

14. When you need an abrasive cleaner, coffee grounds can be used. Be careful of any surfaces that might stain.

15. Remove furniture scratches with wet coffee grounds.

16. Got a fireplace? Sprinkle wet coffee grounds over the ashes to keep from becoming engulfed in the plume of dust ashes create when you need to remove them.

17. Dye fabric, paper or Easter eggs. Simply add used coffee grounds to warm water and let sit a bit to create a dye.

18. After you give your dog a bath, rub coffee grounds through the coat of your pet. Coffee grounds are said to repel fleas.

19. Keep bait worms alive by mixing coffee grounds into the soil before you add worms.

20. Grow mushrooms on old coffee grounds.

My Garden "To Do" List

Below is my "To Do" list. It is specific to the North Central Texas (Dallas) area. Sometimes it is hard to keep all the dates straight and keep ahead of the weather. I find that adding the dates as a notification in my cell phone is a handy reminder. Hopefully this list will be helpful to others in the area.

January

• Anytime
• Cover tender plants with row cover during extreme cold
• Turn compost pile at least once per month
• Fertilize at least once
• Folier spray Garrett Juice Plus and drench  plants roots with Garrett Juice Plus
• 01/01 Order your spring seeds

February

• Anytime: 
• Transplant any plants that need to be moved
• This is one of the best planting months for permanent plants
• Prune fruit trees before bud break
• Check the status of your mulch and add as necessary
• Cover tender plants with row cover during extreme cold
• Turn compost pile at least once per month
• Prune peaches and plums by 40 - 50% to encourage 45° angle growth. Grapes by 80 - 90%. Other fruit trees as needed
•  Fertilize at least once
• All planting areas and turf with a natural-organic fertilizer at approximately 20 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. If the soil is already healthy, the rate can be reduced to 10 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. 
• Folier spray Garrett Juice Plus and drench  plants roots with Garrett Juice Plus
• 02/01
• Starts seeds for
• Peas (outdoors)
• 02/07 
• Plant short day onions outdoors
• Start Seeds for
• Beets (outdoors)
• Broccoli (indoors)
• Brussel Sprouts (indoors)
• Cabbage (indoors)
• Cauliflower (indoors)
• Carrots (outdoors)
• Celery (indoors)
• Cilantro (indoors)
• Collard Greens (indoors)
• Kale (indoors)
• Lettuce (indoors)
• Parsley (indoors)
• Potatoes (outdoors)
• Spinach (in or outdoors)
• Swiss chard (in or outdoors)
• Tomatoes (indoors)
• Turnips (outdoors)
• 02/25 Check fruit trees for early blossoms. Especially apricot trees. Protect blossoms from frost and possibly hand pollinate due to lack of bees with cold weather.
  

March

• Anytime
• Turn compost pile at least once per month
•  Cover tender plants with row cover during extreme cold
•  Fertilize at least once
• Folier spray Garrett Juice Plus and drench  plants roots with Garrett Juice Plus
• 03/01
• Start Seeds for
• Asparagus crowns (outdoors)
• Rhubarb crowns (outdoors)
• Horseradish crowns (outdoors)
• dill (indoors)
• eggplant (indoors)
• peppers (indoors)
• radishes (outdoors)
• 03/13 Last Spring Frost in Dallas 
• All seeds can be started outside after this date for the most part but be careful with unplanned freezes
• Begin hardening off transplants to be moved outdoors
• 03/13 Switch from cool to warm season annuals
• 03/15 Put out humming bird feeder for spring migration
• Start seeds for
• Corn (outside)
• Snap, bush, and pole beans (outside)
• Lima beans (outside) 
• Watermelon (outside)
• Cantaloupe (outside)
• Squash (summer) (outside)
• Zucchini (outside)
• Cucumber (outside)
• 03/15 Spread diatomacious earth around strawberries to prevent slug/pill bug damage 
• 03/25 
• Start seeds for
• Pumpkin (outside)

April

• Anytime
• Turn compost pile at least once per month
• Thin peach fruit to 5” apart, plums to 4” apart, apples and pears to 1 per cluster.
• Fertilize at least once
• Folier spray Garrett Juice Plus and drench  plants roots with Garrett Juice Plus
• 04/01
• Start seeds for
•  Black eyed peas (outside)
• Okra (outside)
• 04/15
• Start seeds for
• Sweet potato slips
  

May 

• Anytime
• Turn compost pile at least once per month
•  Fertilize at least once
• Folier spray Garrett Juice Plus and drench  plants roots with Garrett Juice Plus
• 05/07 
• Start seeds for
• Fall tomato (indoors/outdoors)

June

• Anytime
• Turn compost pile at least once per month
• Fertilize at least once
• All planting areas and turf with a natural-organic fertilizer at approximately 20 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. If the soil is already healthy, the rate can be reduced to 10 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. 
• Folier spray Garrett Juice Plus and drench  plants roots with Garrett Juice Plus
• Prune blackberries to remove fruiting canes after harvest. Prune new canes to 3’ in height to encourage side branching.

July

• Anytime
• Turn compost pile at least once per month
• Fertilize at least once
• Folier spray Garrett Juice Plus and drench  plants roots with Garrett Juice Plus
• 07/01 Start Fall tomato transplants outdoors
• 07/24 Order Fall crop seeds
  

August

• Anytime
• Turn compost pile at least once per month
• Fertilize at least once
• Folier spray Garrett Juice Plus and drench  plants roots with Garrett Juice Plus
• If your soil is not yet healthy, apply dry molasses at a rate of 10 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft.

September

• Anytime
• Turn compost pile at least once per month
• Fertilize at least once
• All planting areas and turf with a natural-organic fertilizer at approximately 20 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. If the soil is already healthy, the rate can be reduced to 10 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. 
• Folier spray Garrett Juice Plus and drench  plants roots with Garrett Juice Plus
• Corn gluten meal and or dry molasses can be used as a pre-emergent to control annual winter weeds
• Anytime through Oct 15th depending on when the temps start to cool
•  Start fall seeds for
• Turnips (outside)
• Carrots (outside)
• Lettuce (outside)
• Cilantro (outside)
• Parsley (outside)
• Broccoli (outside)
• Brussels Sprouts (outside)
• Cabbage (outside)
• Cauliflower (outside)
• Spinach (outside)
• Collard Greens (outside)
• Kale (outside)
• English/French peas (outside) 
• Beets (outside)
• Cilantro (outside)
• Dill (outside)
  

October

• Anytime
• Plant cool season annuals
• Turn compost pile at least once per month
• Fertilize at least once
• All planting areas and turf with a natural-organic fertilizer at approximately 20 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. If the soil is already healthy, the rate can be reduced to 10 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. 
• Folier spray Garrett Juice Plus and drench  plants roots with Garrett Juice Plus
• Greensand at 40 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft
• 10/1 Plant Strawberries crowns so they are ready to produce more fruit in the spring
• 10/15 Plant Garlic cloves and onion bulbs for spring

November

• Anytime
• Turn compost pile at least once per month
• Fertilize at least once
• Folier spray Garrett Juice Plus and drench  plants roots with Garrett Juice Plus
• 11/01 Check the status of your frost protection as you will need it soon
• 11/22 First fall frost in Dallas

December

• Anytime
• Turn compost pile at least once per month
• Cover tender plants with row cover during extreme cold
• Fertilize at least once
• Folier spray Garrett Juice Plus and drench  plants roots with Garrett Juice Plus

Edible Landscape Ideas For Dallas

For a plant to be considered for inclusion into my garden it needs to be able to earn its keep. As I take care of it, it in turn should take care of me. While I am well on my way to implementing this mantra in the backyard I wanted to look at options to also bring the front yard into the mix. How can you take the beauty of a traditional front yard landscape and replace it with edible items and still have it be accepted in the mainstream? Although this type of thought process was at one time considered somewhat taboo it is definitely gaining in popularity and acceptance. Also I think that there is some kind of a stigma around edible landscaping as being ugly or hard to maintain. This is not necessarily the case by any means. When you sit down and consider all the edible options that are available you can usually find some kind of  edible option as a suitable replacement for the traditional landscape item. Also nothing says that 100% of your front yard has to be edible. You can still retain some of your favorites or foundational plantings and just supplement with a few edibles. Keep in mind that the same design principles that apply to traditional landscaping also apply to an edible landscape. You will need a mix of evergreens and deciduous items. The evergreens will help give your garden interest in the Fall/Winter and keep it from looking bare. You will need a few larger foundational plantings with some height in the back with some shrubs in front of them followed by the shorter items like flowers and ground covers. From a design aspect nothing really changes. The only thing that is really changing is inedible plant "A" with edible plant "B". Instead of planting an oak tree plant a peach tree. Instead of planting an azalea bush plant a blueberry bush. Replace the ground cover with a prostrate rosemary. Just like with a traditional landscape the edible plants that you choose need to properly suited to your planting zone and planted at the right time of year.

There are several books that have been written on the subject including:

• Edible Landscaping by Rosalind Creasy
• The Edible Front Yard by Ivette Soler
• Edible Estates by Will Allen, Diana Balmori, and Fritz Haeg

Below are a few links that you might find helpful on the subject:

• Rosalind Creasy Edible Landscaping

• Ohio State University Edible Landscaping

• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Although there are several links on the subject of edible landscaping, I was not able to find any complete lists of potential edible plants for the North Central Texas area. The list that I put together below is the culmination of several sources. It is by no means everything but it does represent a good starting point. The other thing that I like about this list is that it is broken down into trees, shrubs, vines, ground covers, and flowers which makes it easier to determine which location to place the edible in your landscape. If you are going to make the transition to an edible landscape I would recommend to start out slow. Replace a few items and see how you like it. If it turns out good for you then slowly start to expand to other areas in the yard. I myself have not made a complete transition yet and have opted for a hybrid approach to start out with.

 The photo below is from the front yard of the house. Originally there were several over grown traditional "do nothing" shrubs that the builder had planted. I pulled all of this out and just left a few foundation pieces of evergreen traditional landscaping. Since I had most everything pulled out I took the opportunity to amend the soil and improve its composition. I brought in some of the "Specialty Planting Mix" and "Premium Native Mulch" from Living Earth. This picture was taken in the Fall of 2012 shortly after completion of the removal of the old landscape and the additions of the soil amendments. You will notice that there is not much going on but in the back are three Pineapple Guava shrubs. These are an evergreen shrub that produce edible fruits that have the flavor similar to a cross between a strawberry and a pineapple. The fruit that it produces is about the size of a chicken egg.

Pineapple Guava Fruit

In front of the Pineapple Guava are three varieties of rabbiteye blueberries. If you purchase blueberries for North Central Texas you will want to make sure that it is one of the rabbiteye varieties. Also make sure you purchase at least two different varieties so they can cross pollinate otherwise you will never have any blueberries. I planted two of these blueberries on the side of the house last year and they were very prolific. I was able to get about a handful of blueberries every day from just two small bushes. Also remember that blueberries like acidic soil so you can supplement them with some type of organic acidifier. Also when you plant them amend the soil with a majority of peat moss. The more peat the better as this will help supplement the acid. I also spread pine needles around the base as a mulch for the same reason. You can read more about blueberries here:

Texas A&M Blueberries

Although it is not exactly the front yard, I did extend the "edible landscape" concept along the side of the house as well. Along this winding path you will find two grape vines, a fig tree, two more blueberry bushes, and an apricot tree. This area is also a work in progress.

Below you will find "THE LIST". I hope that you find this list helpful and I hope it inspires someone to try something different in their yard in the future.

THE LIST

Trees:

Figs
Pecan
Plum
Peach
Walnut
Pear
Persimmon
Apple
Apricot
Mexican Lime (Potted to protect from cold)
Olive (Potted to protect from cold)
Kumquat (Potted to protect from cold)
Lemon (Potted to protect from cold)
Orange (Potted to protect from cold)
Mulberry
Jujube

Shurbs:
Blueberry
Pomegranate
Bay Laurel (evergreen)(may need frost protection when young)
Rosemary (perennial)(evergreen)
Pineapple Guava (evergreen)
Lavender (perennial)
Elderberries (perennial)(edible flowers and berries)
Agarita (Texas Native) (evergreen)
Texas Barberry (Texas Native)
Turks Cap (perennial) (flowers and fruit for tea)(Texas native)
Germander (perennial)

Vines:
Blackberry
Raspberry
Grapes
Muscadine
Kiwi
Malabar spinach (annual)
Beans (annual)(spring planting)
Peas(annual)(fall planting)

Groundcover:
Rosemary -prostrate (perennial)(evergreen)(tea, food)
Creeping Thyme (tea and food flavoring)
Strawberry (perennial)
Mint (perennial)(tea and food flavoring)
Oregano (perennial)(evergreen)(tea and food flavoring)

Herbs:
Lavender (perennial) (teas, food flavoring, insect repellent)
Chives (perennial)(spring planting)(edible foliage and flowers)
Garlic  (perennial)(fall planting)(edible flowers, greens and cloves)
Mexican Mint Marigold (perennial)(spring planting)(leaves used in tea and cooking)
Mexican Oregano (perennial)(evergreen)
Lemon Grass (perennial)
Cilantro (annual)(fall planting)
Dill (annual)(fall planting)
Garlic (annual)(fall planting)
Ginger (annual)(spring planting)
Horseradish (edible foliage and roots)
Mint
Oregano (perennial)(spring planting)(evergreen)
Parsley (annual)(fall planting)(edible foliage)

Flowers:
Borage (annual) (spring planting)(edible flower and leaves)
Calendulas (annual) (fall planting)(edible flower)
Chamomile (German is annual, Roman is perennial)(fall planting)
Lavender (perennial)(teas, food flavoring, insect repellent)
Nasturtium (annual)(fall planting)(edible leaves)
Squash Blooms (annual)(edible flower)
Viola (annual)(fall planting)(edible flower)
Pansies (annual)(fall planting)(edible flower)
Johnny-jump ups (annual)(fall planting)(edible flower)
Begonia (annual)(spring planting April1)(edible flower)
Daylilies (annual)(spring planting)(edible flower)
Dianthus (annual)(fall planting)(edible flower)
Hibiscus (annual)(spring planting)(edible flower)
Purslane (annual)(spring planting)(edible leaves)
Sunflower (annual)(spring planting)(edible seeds and flower petals)
Violets (tea from flowers/leaves and leaves in salads)
Roses (edible petals and hips for tea)
Sweet Marigold (perennial)(spring planting)(food, tea from leaves and flowers)
Turks cap (perennial)(spring planting)(flowers and fruit for tea)(Texas native)

Vegetables:
 Fall:
Collards
Kale
Lettuce
Peas
Spinach
Swiss Chard

Spring:
Cucumber
Tomatoes
Peppers
Eggplant
onions
malabar spinach
beans

Operation Grass Killer

Ok, so this weekend I decided to get rid of what little was left of the grass in the backyard. With all the garden beds and hardscaping the backyard grass was reduced to little more than a few pathways and hard to reach areas. This was making mowing burdensome as it was too difficult to maneuver the push mower but the area was a little large to use a weed eater. Plus with all the garden beds and trees so close the weed eater was just throwing unwanted grass and weed seed into the beds and making my work more difficult down the road. I had recently added a shredded hardwood mulch walkway down the side of the house and figured why not just extend this on into the backyard. This will tie everything together. Plus no sense in paying to water / maintain grass that is not necessary. Also with the addition of the mulch what little rain there is will stay in the ground longer and not be lost due to evaporation with the blistering Texas heat. In this area of Texas people water around the foundation of their house to try to keep the dirt at a consistent moisture level to avoid  having the ground dry out to much and cause a shift in the foundation which will lead to cracks in the house. I imagine that this extra layer of mulch will help with this water retention as well. Its a win-win!

So it makes complete sense to get rid of the grass and replace it with mulch. The problem is that I have Bermuda grass. This grass is tough and it is great for surviving the dry hot Texas weather but its resilience can sometimes be burdensome to the home gardener. As I had attempted to get rid of the grass in the backyard before for another hardscaping project, I have a little expertise in this matter. In the past I have gone to the big box garden center and purchased a nice expensive roll of weed block fabric. I put this down in a small section of the yard only to have the grass grow right through it. This was not the cheap landscape fabric either. I then had to remove all the gravel that I had put down and start over. The second time I doubled up the landscape fabric and put down a couple of layers of newspaper. This was a hassle as the newspaper kept wanting to blow away on me before I could get it covered plus I was now going through twice as much of the expensive landscape fabric. This approach was much more affective but unfortunately after several months I had grass coming through in spots again. I even resorted to trying to use roofing tar paper but I stopped using this as I didn't like the environmental aspects of putting this stuff in the ground. Also it did not allow the rain water to flow through into the ground properly.

The best thing that I have found to kill the grass is actually free! That's right I said free. Try to beat that. It doesn't cost anything. Its environmentally friendly. Its readily available, easy to find, and easy to work with. Go and find you a bunch of old used cardboard boxes. Its that simple. It doesn't really matter what condition they are in as you will be breaking them down to lay flat on the ground anyway. There are tons of these things floating around and most people are happy to give them away once they are done with them. Plus you will be preventing them from going into the landfill. You would have to put down a whole lot of newspaper to equal the effectiveness of a layer or two of cardboard. Plus the cardboard will not blow away on you when you are trying to put it down. If the wind if blowing hard enough to blow your boxes away you probably should not be outside anyway. I also find that I can cover larger areas more quickly with boxes than with newspaper. Plus, like the newspaper, the cardboard boxes will allow the water through and they will eventually break down into the Earth as they are after all a paper (wood) product but this will be long after the grass is dead.

Now prior to putting the cardboard down onto the ground you do have a couple of additional options. One of these options is to put down a product like Roundup. I am guilty of using this product in the past and it is very affective at killing the Bermuda grass for a couple of weeks before it returns again. Yes the grass will still return even after using this product so you can't use it alone. Did I mention how tough this grass was? This is the reason for the cardboard on top. Although I have not completely converted everything over to organic practices yet I am well on my way to making this my norm. I would recommend to always go this route first if possible. Regardless of whether you are talking about killing grass or killing pests you always want to start with the least environmentally impacting practice and move out from there. This is where your other second option comes in. To organically kill the grass I would recommend to use vinegar. It is the acidity in the vinegar that allows it to kill the vegetation. Notice that I said vegetation and not just weed or grass in that sentence. Vinegar is a non selective herbicide. In other words it will kill whatever it comes in contact with so be careful about over spray and make sure not to get it on anything that you want to keep around.  When applying vinegar as an herbicide it is best applied on a sunny dry day. The sun will magnify the affects and the dry conditions will give the product time to do its work. When it comes to vinegar there are a couple of different options. I believe that normal vinegar that you buy from the grocery store contains about 5% acidity. This will work for small weeds and such. For some of the more difficult weeds there is a 20% acidity agricultural vinegar that can also be used. This high acidity product can be found at most all garden centers. Be very careful when using the higher acidity product as it will burn you if you get it on your skin so take extra precautions. Did I also mention that vinegar is very cheap? Try saying the same thing about Roundup.

 As a side note to the above picture, when planing your garden always make sure to make the access pathways large enough to move material around with a wheelbarrow. This little bit of prior planning will save you a ton of time and trouble down the road.

Anyway, once you have put down your chemical grass killer and given it time to work (organic hopefully) then proceed to lay down your cardboard boxes in a jigsaw fashion until all the ground is covered. You really cant get this part wrong as long as all the grass is covered. Once the cardboard is down then spread your covering of choice and you are done.

What Is A Garden?

What is a garden? That is an excellent question that is not so simple to answer. A garden can be multiple things to multiple people. It could be something as simple as a couple of pots on your patio to a full blown commercial farm with acres and rows of product. I would not say that my definition of a garden and what I am trying to accomplish falls into any one particular category or genre. I am somewhat limited in scope by my small urban lot but not necessarily limited by my imagination. I know what my garden is not more than I know what it actually is. My garden is not traditional. It does not fit into what is currently considered the mainstream but it is growing in acceptance. I know that what I plant must provide me with something. If I am going to take care of it then it must in return take care of me. This means lots of herbs, fruits, and vegetables. The problem is how do I integrate these types of helpful plants into a traditional urban landscape with a limited area? Lets start small, work with what I have and see where this goes. It was around this time that I became familiar with a book by Mel  Bartholomew called "All New Square Foot Gardening". This is a great book and I recommend it for anyone who is limited on space and wants to create a vegetable garden. Basically Mel was an engineer who's daily job was to streamline processes. Once he retired he applied these same streamlining principles to vegetable gardening. Long story short he removed all the unnecessary space from the vegetable garden and reduced it to only the necessary parts. What this results in is a way to grow lots of vegetables in a small about of space. This would be what I used for my first "garden".

Introductions

So this is my first attempt at starting a new blog. I am setting this up to share with you my journey into the world of gardening. Hopefully we can all learn something from one another along the way. I do not have a history or extensive background on the subject but I do have a strong desire and curiosity about nature as a whole.  I am calling this site my "Micro Garland Garden Experiment". The "Micro" part is because I have only a very limited space in which to work the ground. Somewhere around 3000 SqFt of space. Note to self, I need to measure to confirm. The "Garland" part is because, well you guessed it I live in Garland, Texas. The "Garden" part is self explanatory although the term "garden" can mean lots of things to lots of people. More on this later. And lastly the "Experiment" part. I am inquisitive by nature and have a scientific background so I set out on this journey more as a way to quench my thirst for knowledge about a topic that involves multiple scientific elements. What could be more amazing than understanding the cycle of life and nature that surrounds us on a daily basis? That and a slight case of OCD have compelled me to turn my micro yard into a sort of giant mad scientists test tube. Lets see how far down the rabbit hole goes! I cant say that this journey is purely scientific as there is a certain amount of joy that I get from being outside and working in the dirt and feeling the sun on my face (except in the heat of summer).

This all started in the spring of 2011. We had only been in our house a couple of years and I had gone the traditional route of planting a few items from the nursery into our small yard only to have them killed by the brutal Texas summer. Also having gone through what was to me a very cold winter I realized that North Texas was a harsh environment with wide extremes between the seasons. See, I am originally from South Louisiana and although it does get hot and muggy in the summer and cold in the winter it is nothing like the back to back 100+ days of Texas summer heat and freezing snowy days of winter. I had never even really been in snow much before going through a North Texas winter. In fact if you had asked me before moving here, I would never have thought that it would actually get as cold as it does. Its not Colorado mind you but then again Colorado does not have to deal with 100+ degree summers either. Well long story short I lost lots of plants. I decided at that point that if I was going to plant anything again that I needed to learn more about how to do it properly and secondly I wanted to plant something that was going to give me something back! It must earn its keep. How can a plant do that you may ask? Well, there are multiple ways. They can provide you with teas, medicine, and food to name a few. That last point has become one of my mantras and focal points. From that time forward, everything that I have planted has to give me something in return for the time and care I provide for it. That may sound greedy and shallow at first but think about that comment for a moment. Why would you spend your hard earned money and time to plant something that just sits there and does nothing? What does that nice manicured yard do for you? Is it to impress the neighbors? To what end does that serve? It costs money to make the yard look that nice. If you are going to dump the money into it then doesn't it make sense to try to get something of value back out of it? There is nothing wrong with planting a majestic Oak tree in your yard but if you are going to plant something why not consider some type of fruit or nut tree instead? This concept of give and take with the landscape is what helped to start me on this journey and I would like to take this opportunity to share with you what I have learned along the way and to also learn from your own experiences.