JDgreen227
Super Member
Started it back in '97 with a few tomatoes, gradually kept expanding it until today it measures about 30'X60'. We live in the country, meaning wildlife abounds, I took the cats out at 7 am this morning and I could see three rabbits in the yard even without my glasses. And there are numerous deer, possums, skunks, etc. so of course anything planted has to be protected. Hmm, the last two years I have redone the fence, dug holes for 20 treated landscape posts and set them in concrete...$160 for posts and concrete alone. Then I built a 4 foot hinged gate, and a 10 foot movable gate...probably $50 for lumber and hardware there. Replaced all 5 foot high fence wire, even cheap stuff cost $160 for 200 feet. Then add another $80 for two foot high rabbit gard mesh...PLUS ALL THE LABOR TO DO THIS...
Now that the fence is done, lets get to the real S--- about country gardening here...take a look at the attachment. Those planters were bare soil five weeks ago, the field across the road has 5 foot high weeds and quackgrass growing wild, guess which way the wind usually blows here? Meaning any and all bare soil in planters, flowerbeds, GARDENS, etc quickly becomes full of quackgrass sprouts and roots, and it's next to impossible to keep them free of the stuff. The only way I can possibly have a garden free of weeds and quackgrass is to use that black landscape fabric to cover EVERYTHING EXCEPT MY VEGGIES. I so envy those who can plant seeds and sets in their soil and not have them quickly and permanently overgrown with the unwanted vegetation. I have tried using weed and grass killer, it works for two weeks,and then yet ANOTHER new crop of seeds begins sprouting.
Have you priced landscape fabric recently? Can you imagine having to use enough of it to cover an 1800 square foot garden area? Can you imagine the headache trying to put down 1800 square feet of the fabric when the wind is almost always blowing?
And my wife wonders why I come in late in the afternoon grumbling under my breath "Frickin garden is more bother than it's worth".
Thanks for letting me rant...:laughing:
Now that the fence is done, lets get to the real S--- about country gardening here...take a look at the attachment. Those planters were bare soil five weeks ago, the field across the road has 5 foot high weeds and quackgrass growing wild, guess which way the wind usually blows here? Meaning any and all bare soil in planters, flowerbeds, GARDENS, etc quickly becomes full of quackgrass sprouts and roots, and it's next to impossible to keep them free of the stuff. The only way I can possibly have a garden free of weeds and quackgrass is to use that black landscape fabric to cover EVERYTHING EXCEPT MY VEGGIES. I so envy those who can plant seeds and sets in their soil and not have them quickly and permanently overgrown with the unwanted vegetation. I have tried using weed and grass killer, it works for two weeks,and then yet ANOTHER new crop of seeds begins sprouting.
Have you priced landscape fabric recently? Can you imagine having to use enough of it to cover an 1800 square foot garden area? Can you imagine the headache trying to put down 1800 square feet of the fabric when the wind is almost always blowing?
And my wife wonders why I come in late in the afternoon grumbling under my breath "Frickin garden is more bother than it's worth".
Thanks for letting me rant...:laughing:
