Gardening Strategy: No Mulch, Just Groundcover

I absolutely love this season!

With this perfect weather, it’s almost a pleasure to do the limited weeding that’s ahead. I say, “limited,” because with the strategy of NO MULCH, JUST GROUNDCOVER, I have very little weeding to do.

By planting Vinca minor or periwinkle in all of my garden beds, I’ve eliminated the mulching that I had been doing for over 30 years. All of my bulbs and perennials come up through it and the groundcover keeps in the moisture, preventing roots from drying out, even in the heat of summer. If you aren’t already doing this, you may want to give it a try – maybe only in a small portion of your garden, as a test patch. 

Hatboro’s GARDENERS OF THE CROOKED BILLET will be having its next meeting Thursday, April 12 at 7 PM. We meet in the Social Hall of the Church of the Advent, 12 Byberry Road, Hatboro. (Use the Rorer Avenue entrance, parking behind Hatboro Federal Savings Bank.) All interested gardeners are invited – from beginners to the experienced! The topic is “What I’ve Learned From My Garden,” followed by light refreshments. I hope to meet you there! 

You can check out our Crooked Billet website http://www.pitrone.com/gardeners.html to see what our club is all about and read my latest newsletter with current events and activities. To go directly to the newsletter, click http://www.pitrone.com/aprilnews0412.pdf. 

Garden Tips for this Month:

• Some of the plants that may be divided now are primrose, bleeding hearts, asters, iris, daylilies, and chrysogonum. This is best done before they get too large, avoiding excessive wilting or death.
• To make plants bushier, cut back beautyberry, roses, St. John’s Wort, buddleia, and caryopteris this month.
• Remove “weeds” (any plants that you do not want growing where they appear) as soon as you see them. One man’s weeds are another’s valued garden addition!

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Check out my latest garden paintings at http://BarbaraRosenzweig.etsy.com.

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