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COUNTRY GARDENS // FA LL 2019
FLOWER
POWER
“We let the poppies
seed themselves and
they’re all afl utter with
pollinators,” Eileen
says. “You can hear the
bees working.”
The fl ower scene
started with one double
red poppy and a dark
purple poppy, but
those fl owers multiplied
to add a sheen of
color for many weeks.
Pollinators adore the
bounty and it adds
beauty to the acreage’s
vegetable element.
When the poppies fi nish
blooming, the Elliotts
pull most of them out
but leave a few standing
to scatter seed for the
nex t year.GARDEN EFFICIENTLY
“Anything that can be mulched is bedded in straw,” Eileen says. “It holds moisture,
minimizes weeding, and earthworms love it.”
The Elliotts are all about working smart and reducing chores. Finding weed-free
straw to use as mulch is one of their secrets. As soon as crops grow large enough to
stand above a layer of straw, they mulch to reduce weeding, cut down on watering,
prevent water runoff, and delight the earthworms that help keep the soil friable.