Today we are going to talk about mulching and moisture.

I was having a problem with retaining moisture in my beds. All the plants were drying and having slow growth. I think the main problem is no shade and all plants get direct sun. The other problem is if you remember in an earlier post, I had buried stone and broken concrete about two feet under the soil. The drainage is very good.

I was trying to figure out the best mulch to use on the beds where I would get the best value to help with productivity. I decided on a peat moss and compost mix. The peat acts as a great barrier to protect against dryness from the hot sun and the compost adds nitrogen to the soil for the plants. It is also appealing to the eye. I love the dark brown color against the terra cotta block, and with the white wishing well and white patio furniture, it’s a win, win situation.

I am so glad with the results of all of this that I had to take more pictures just so you can see how well everything is growing. We had a heavy rain that lasted about 24 hours and I think, really kick started the plants in super fast mode.

As I send you to the pictures I just wanted to tell you about the two square terra cotta pots that are on their second year of sweet William and are finally starting to bloom. Enjoy the pictures and let me know what you think.

Until next time.