Information and Resouces for the Do-it-Yourselfer - Great Lakes Landscaping

a diversion:

A hobo comes up to the front door of a neat looking farmhouse and
raps gently on the door. When the farm owner answers, the hobo
asks him, "Please, sir, could you give me something to eat? I haven't
had a good meal in several days."

The owner says, "I have made a fortune in my lifetime by supplying
goods for people. I've never given anything away for nothing.
However, if you go around the back, you will see a gallon of paint
and a clean paint brush. If you will paint my porch, I will give you a good meal."

So the hobo goes around back and awhile later, he again knocks
on the door. The owner says, "Finished already? Good. Come on in.
Sit down. The cook will bring your meal right in."

The hobo says, "Thank you very much, sir. But there's something that
I think you should know. It's not a Porsche you got there. It's a BMW."

~ Preparing A Wildflower Bed ~

Preparing a wildflower bed is really pretty easy. The best examples
can already be found in every woods anywhere. A natural bed is
made up of the leaves that have fallen from the trees above every
year, atop a rich shady loam soil that has not been farmed out.
That's a mouthful, but what it means is that woodland flowers like
a rich shady soil that is very humus, especially on top, with lots of nutrients.

You can create the perfect bed any number of ways. The best is to take
humus from your compost pile (you DO have a compost pile, don't you?)
and mix it richly into your regular flower bed, or if a new bed, mix humus
perhaps 50/50 with good topsoil to a depth of a foot or so.

If you have waited until now to start a compost pile, then you can begin
with purchased humus from any garden center. It has far fewer nutrients
then your own will have, so mix in some mild fertilizer with it for the
first year. The bags of topsoil you can purchase at the same garden
center will also work as a good base to mix into.

Wildflowers are usually planted 2" deep, so make sure the top of
your bed is heavy on the humus. When planting, you can have the
top almost pure humus.

Wildflowers usually LOVE moisture, so it is unlikely you can
overdo the watering. Woodland soil is moist well into the summer,
thanks to years of leaves falling from trees and rotting into the soil,
creating a nice blanket over the soil base. For sun loving flowers and
ground covers, like daisy, the same soil should be used, but
compensate for the sun with extra water and humus. Woodland
meadows are actually pretty rich soil, and a fun habitat to try to
simulate. A good wildflower garden can be mix of sun and shade
areas, with blooms lasting well into the summer. Join the fun!

And thanks for reading,

Spike

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Great Lakes Landscaping
403 E Main ST
Mancelona
Michigan 49659
United States