Bed PreParation: insurance for success 41
The soil in this garden was poor
draining and lacked nutrients.
We removed 2 in. of it and added
6 in. of well-draining, nutrient-
providing compost containing
gravel. The compost and
gravel was worked into the base
soil, raising the beds about
4 in. Plants were then placed
for planting.installations around the weather is always a challenge in the spring and autumn
seasons. I won’t work in the beds if they are too wet from a previous day’s rain.
Not only does it further damage the structure of the soil, but it also increases
labor time. If the bed is just slightly too wet, adding sphagnum peat moss first
will help absorb some excess moisture and will make the beds workable. It is also
important to stay off the beds as much as possible after preparation, especially if
Even after 10 years, the gardens
look beautiful, with minimal
additional organic matter added
and only occasional fertilizer
used on annuals.