Do You Want to Have a Garden? Let’s Build One on the Lawn

Some parts of your home speak to you emotionally and practically. One is the kitchen, where you spend significant time rustling up delicious and healthy recipes. Because there is an emotional link, you want to keep this space best-looking and highly efficient. Sometimes, the love for beautiful interiors transcends everything to an extent where you feel tempted to prioritize looks over functionality. Anyone will immediately comment that this space should be more practical than appealing. Is it the right thing to do? While these equations are more about personal preferences, seeking a balance between the two worlds is crucial.

Find beautiful sinks for your kitchen or other elements that make it complete. After the kitchen, another area can be the garden. One does not have to be a gardener to appreciate the charm of this addition to their outdoor area. You can enjoy it for its ability to infuse a sense of freshness in the ambiance and its giving nature. The garden’s flowers, herbs, and vegetables make you marvel at nature’s benevolence a little more. You also feel resourceful and healthy amidst the vibrant colors of the varied produce. So, do not regret it if you do not have a garden. Instead, build one in your backyard. You have to dedicate a small portion of the lawn to this. Of course, you can make a large garden also if you can afford the space. Generally, the process starts with clearing the grass.

Grass removal methods

Three main methods include sheet layering, manual removal, and solarization. 

. Sheet layering

This procedure requires you to use newspaper, unwaxed cardboard, or other organic material to kill the growth. Although it shows effects after a couple of months, you can rely on this method for its effective results. The best season for this can be summer. Usually, you choose a spot for planting a bed and cover it with newspaper or cardboard layers with seams extending up to a minimum of six inches over each other. The layers make up about 10 inches of thickness. Over this, you can pour three to four inches of compost to keep the sheets in place. Only a journal with black ink is an option. 

Add some compost to the planting bed in quantity when the grass has broken down. During warmer months, this gives results in up to four months. However, colder months may need one entire season of growth.

Solarization

Mow the grass short in the planting area and make it thoroughly wet. Use a transparent plastic tarp to cover the garden area. Put bricks on the edges to help the plastic stay in its place. If there is moderate sunlight, you can expect the covered ground to get hotter by 140 degrees F. It will kill all the unwanted matter, such as soil bacteria, seeds, weeds, and grass. With grass dying and breaking down, you can get the impact in about four weeks. Add compost or other suitable materials to the planting bed.

. Manual efforts

This exercise can be pretty efficient but demands some labor. You must dampen the garden area one or two days before the grass removal activity. When the turf is soft, you can eliminate roots quickly. With a spade, you can create one sq ft of area each in the lawn. Throw away the grass with other yard waste or in a bin. You can give this away to interested neighbors also. Nevertheless, composting requires creating enough heat for the grass seeds to die.

Soil optimization

Healthy soil is an essential requirement for any plant to grow well. The quality of the soil depends on nutritional content, adequate pH levels, and suitable soil composition and texture. If it contains a lot of clay or sand, there will be drainage issues. Also, ensure you add compost proportionally to avoid any problems. 

Plant selection

You can choose from annual plants, biennials, herbs, fruits, vegetables, trees, and shrubs. Annual summer plants include zinnias, marigolds, cornflowers, etc., while biennials consist of sweet William, hollyhock, and foxglove. You come across perennials like strawberries and asparagus in fruits, herbs, and veggies. No matter what you select, the climate, soil, and other parts of the environment should promote their growth.

Planting/ transplanting methods

You can install potted plants or seeds for the desirable outcome. If you use seeds, check the packaging to understand the planting depth, how to spread them, the germination process, and maturing process. For potted options, you need to make a planting hole of the root ball size, matching the pot depth. During planting, one has to water it well, and regular watering is necessary for the roots to grow stronger. Another critical area is the soil temperature. Planting in cold soil will not help seeds germinate. However, annual vegetables and flowers will expand when it is sufficiently warm.

After some time, you may want to change the position of the plants to create a specific garden design or for other reasons. You can do this through transplantation. 

Weeds and pests

Weed growth can be one of your main concerns. You may keep an eye on them to stop them from flourishing. However, you would want to learn about their different varieties and how to tackle them each. Some plants tend to grow through the process of self-seeding. You risk destroying your efforts if you don’t recognize whether they are plants or weeds. Some examples of self-seeding plants include foxglove, cosmos, snapdragons, and more. Likewise, pests are a danger. Suppose your area has a deer issue. You can use plants they resist for your garden’s safety.

It is a cycle where you must begin from scratch to see your garden come alive. Although it involves sweat and labor, the fruits of your endeavors can be lovely. Whenever someone drops by your home, they will want to look at your garden. If you maintain it well, they will only admire your work. Your house will also start looking extra beautiful because of the carefully chosen colors. You can spend time near the plants and forget about your daily stress.