Not everything has gone as planned in my yard. Some plants struggled and had to be replace while others took off and out grew the spot they were planted and were moved or removed from my garden. One thing I would have done differently if I could go back would be how we went about putting in our kidney shaped planting bed. We killed the grass then used a tiller to turn the soil…BIG mistake. This allowed weed seeds to germinate and Nut Grass went crazy, first in the new bed then spread to the rest of the yard! To this day I am fighting Nut Grass.
I wish I had worked the large bed the way I did the beds that are along the fence. I did my own version of Lasagna Gardening before I knew it had a name. I used 6 layers of newspapers to cover the grass, then added compost and garden soil and covered with mulch. I waited for 6-8 months then planted my shrubs. A true lasagna garden would have used more organic materials in alternate layers of “browns” like fall leaves and “greens” like grass clippings and ended up about 2 feet tall. This material shrinks down quickly in just a few weeks.
If you are wondering what a Lasagna gardening is: it is a no-dig, no-till organic gardening method that results in rich, fluffy soil with very little work from the gardener. The name "lasagna gardening" has nothing to do with what you'll be growing in this garden. It refers to the method of building the garden, which is, essentially, adding layers of organic materials that will “cook down” over time, resulting in rich, fluffy soil that will help your plants thrive. Also known as “sheet composting,” lasagna gardening is great for the environment, because you're using your yard and kitchen waste and essentially composting it in place to make a new garden. Want more on this great new gardening method? Check out the link. http://ourgardengang.tripod.com/lasagna_gardening.htm
