My inspiration to spruce up my garden this year has been rather weak. Pulled a few weeds here, raked some leaves there...but that's as far as I've gotten. But while catching up on Facebook posts, I came across this amazing time lapse video made by a friend of a friend. So, if you need a little kick start, like I did, then you'll want to watch this video after the jump.
Feel the itch to get out and clear away the weeds and debris? I hope so, because I sure do! Thanks to Barkup71 for the awesome inspiration and clever video!
(Image/Video: Barkup71 on YouTube)
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This is just darling. Of course, it helps to have the William Tell Overture to inspire.
Nice video. An alternative would be to let some chickens loose back there and let them clean-up the place while fertilizing it with the strongest animal manure known to man. Then make seed balls based on Mananobu Fukuoka, and thrown them in the garden.
Check out Faircompanies.com for more ideas. Happy growing!
hahaha loved this!
As an alternative, covering greenery and weeds with cardboard, wetting it down and topping it with a "lasagna" layered compost is a bit easier (imho) than turning and you gain the nutrients of your compost layers when you plant in it!
Got a lot done already but was hoping for some more inspiration (aka a kick in the rear to finish up) but alas, the video is *not available*. Bummer :(
@ deirdre625: All true. The lasagna process is effective...but it IS a *process* and requires advance planning. LOTS of advance, actually. It's a great alternative for those without other resources. Anyone considering this option should PLAN AHEAD. Research, research and you won't be disappointed. Great results.
Here where it's cold, you don't have to do this. If you leave your raised beds alone, they stay ungrown-upon. Very odd.
My landlord covered his gardens with old carpets and tarps. After 5 years of not being cultivated, allI had to do was pull it up, any weeds that managed to work their way through came out with the carpet. The beds that stayed uncovered were much harder to weed.
I start new beds using the lasagne method, but it looks to me like that couple isn't digging up weeds, but is turning over purposely sown "green manure".
if that was grass they were turning under, in my experience, the next installment is a time lapse video of it growing right back up again
I dug my grass up this way, but before topping the raised bed with additional topsoil and compost, I laid a layer of cardboard down. Those beds lack weeds. The ones in which I smothered the grass and weeds with cardboard and plopped soil and compost on top has a weed problem, but just around the edges.
I would guess it is actually something like winter oats or another cover crop - sown for quick growth over a short period, then turned into the soil to act as fertilizer. Essentially, "green manure".
That was invigorating! Can you come to my place?