Last Years “Dream Garden” Turned Out to be a Dud

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Last year my toddler and I tried to create our very first garden. I had grandiose ideas of flowers of all kinds and colors sprouting up at our little lake house. Of course Pinterest was the inspiration, it gets me every time.

flower bed

I planted hoards of flowers along the house including some of my favorites like Gladiolas, Peonies, Lillies, Daisies and even sunflowers. Things went downhill from there. Including numerous out of town trips, where my flower seeds parched in the dry sun.

flower garden

Of course neither did I fertilize, nor actually feed the plants.

As a result we had one solitary, brave little Lily sprout from the ground. And while I did water it lovingly, it only took one shake of a dogs tail to destroy the precious pedals. I never even got a chance to add mulch, not that I would have thought of it if I had.

This year I’m determined for things to be different.

eucalyptus leaves

I’ve compiled my list (I’m a big fan of lists) of gardening supplies, including:

I’ve learned that there is so much more to gardening than flowers, water, earth and sunlight. 

eucalyptus mulch

According to the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County, “While it is true that eucalyptus leaves do have some toxicity, the research shows that well composted eucalyptus leaves pose no problem when used as a mulch or when mixed at appropriate quantities into a growing medium. The research also concluded that fresh eucalyptus leaves were shown to be a good weed suppressant when applied to a depth of 4 inches (10cm).”

Use of organic mulches (like eucalyptus) can provide a ton of benefits to your garden and overall home landscaping. While some like to use mulch as a decorative way to separate garden or flower areas from their grass or lawn, it is also helpful in reducing soil loss to wind and water erosion.

Mulch can also help with temperature moderation and it adds precious organic materials to poor soil as they decompose.

And of course our favorite benefit – mulches are a fantastic way to suppress weeds.

eucalyptus tree

If you can find it, we like Scotts Nature Scapes mulch. It’s a natural forest product that comes in a variety of textures and 3 colors. It also helps maintain moisture, prevent weeds and helps your garden flourish. Both options are a no brainer for sustainable gardening.

So do I have everything? Let’s hope so because I’ve started to accumulate plants here and there. No more will my yard be a barren wasteland, I am determined to be successful.

Have I missed anything? Feel free to leave me your green thumb tips!

12 thoughts on “Last Years “Dream Garden” Turned Out to be a Dud”

  1. Today, I went to the beachfront with my children.
    I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.”
    She put the shell to her ear and screamed.
    There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear.
    She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is entirely off topic but I had to tell someone!

    Reply

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