new bed by the driveway

As I mentioned in my sheet composting/lasagna gardening post yesterday, I’m expanding or rather, combining 3 share beds by the driveway into one bed. Our efforts to grow grass in this area last summer were a waste of time and money. Given the position of this area near the driveway, I wanted to create something that visitors would enjoy.

Over a week ago, my husband used our tractor to mulch collected leaves on the other side of the yard. He mulched in place and then collected the finished leaves. He left them in a pile until I decided what to do with them. I decided to move them to this area to be part of the newly expanded shade bed. This layer is about 4 inches.

Looking from the woods up the hill, you can see how close this area is to the driveway. As I collected more materials, I’ll start filling the bare area on the left.

We’re also going to remove at least 3 of the trees to the left of the oldest tree. However, looking at the bed from this side, I think we need to remove all 4 trees to the left.

Next year, my plan is to begin planting rhododendrons and other shade-loving shrubs along the back of the bed by the woods. The middle and front of the bed will be a mixture of astilbe, hosta, ferns, and some sun-loving perennials where the sun hits the bed by the driveway.