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Weeds, Garden, Yankee Ingenuity

With talk of oil costing $150 a barrel, the price for food, transportation and everything else has skyrocketed with no end in sight. If we are going  to survive, it will be good ole’ Yankee ingenuity that will do it. Over the weekend I planted my flower garden at my cottage. I hate weeds. In the past I would buy a weed protecting mesh to place on the ground below the mulch. But, at $49 for a roll, I decided to utilize an old trick from the Farmers’ Almanac.

One way to  reduce the survival of weeds in a new bed is to lay down two or more thickness of heavy cardboard, or 10 - 12 thicknesses of newspaper. Pile organic matter on top of the paper, with the coarsest matter on the bottom. For the top few inches, use compost mixed with topsoil. The paper (cardboard) will prevent most weeds from emerging through the bed and those that do will be weak.

If you are simply refreshing an old bed, scrap off old mulch, lay the paper or cardboard and cover with a mixture of old and fresh mulch. It looks great and the weeds are non-existent.
 
There are many ways to be frugal and efficient. Stay tuned for more tips on sustainable living. And, check our website for tips, videos, and smart ideas.