Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Be Gone Garlic Mustard

Janet and I pulled the last bit out last night. Now we are on to the Yellow Thistle, I think. It is taking over the top of the east side hill. Yellow Thistle is also a plant that lives two years. The seeds stay in the ground for many years but as long as you don't let the plants go to seed they will finally stop.

I've been using the mower clippings as a mulch around my traditional hardwood mulch flower beds. The strategy is to kill the grass below and then mulch it with hardwood later in the fall. That way my beds will slowly get larger and larger. Four cubic yards, eight cubic yards and finally I'll just have the park board make my corner a mulch depot.

The Bottle Brush Buckeye is doing great in the west yard under the trees. We liked the look of the ones at the Cincinnati Civic Garden Club when we went to the plant sale on Sunday last. Purchased some giant hostas and another Bottle Brush Buckeye. Got a four foot cedar tree from my brother. Time to start my seedlings. Frost threat will be over next week.

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