When a homeowner who travels a lot called the team at Ask This Old House for help with her backyard, landscape contractor Lee Gilliam answered the call. With a quick assessment, Lee knew the soil needed to be amended, and the two would have to do something about the heat. By mixing compost and fertilizer into the soil and adding drip irrigation, the pair fixed this ho-hum backyard in short order.
How to Repair a Garden
In our case, the garden was in direct sun, and the soil was growing moss. Based on its appearance, Lee knew the soil needed amending. If you’re unsure, have your soil tested at a local garden center.
- Rake out the existing mulch. Whether it is stone or mulch, it must go to amend the soil.
- Rototill the soil to loosen it and make it easier to mix the amendments into the soil.
- Apply a 2-inch-thick layer of compost on top of the soil while also spreading handfuls of natural fertilizer into the soil.
- Use the rototiller to mix the compost and fertilizer into the soil.
- Choose a variety of sun-loving plants and place them on top of the soil. Some plants to consider are boxwoods, Annabelle hydrangea, Lacecap hydrangea, Sedums, Catnip, and Black-eyed Susan.
- Position them until you like the appearance and shape of the garden. Loosen their rootballs with your fingers and plant them so they’re level with the existing soil.
- Install the drip irrigation system by running the main line from a water source and then plugging emitters into the line with the emitter installation tool that came in the kit. If desired, put them on a timer.
- Place a 2-inch-thick layer of leaf mulch around the fresh plantings to retain soil and enrich the soil as it breaks down.
Resources
Use a rake to remove loose gravel and decorative stones from the top layer. A rototiller will prep and loosen the soil for receiving nutrients and new plants. Once the soil is tilled, add a layer of organic compost and rake it out evenly. Add an organic fertilizer and mix it into the soil with another pass of the rototiller. After new plants have been added, finish by adding a roughly two inches of leaf mulch.
Plants include Boxwood, Annabelle hydrangea, Lacecap hydrangea, Sedums, Catnip, and Black-eyed Susan.
Drip irrigation system professionally installed by Marks Contracting in Waltham, MA.
Materials
Tools
You may choose to rent a rototiller to loosen up the soil.
