Landscaping -- the large Planting bed

If you've been following our landscaping saga, you know that last year we had to remove our two big ash trees out front that were killed by a severe winter storm in February. Since then we have been working to install new landscaping. The first stage was to plant a new shade tree on the left side of the yard ("left" when looking from the street). Now we are working on stage 2--the large-ish planting bed on the right side.  

John finished building the planting bed in January. But we have been waiting for more propitious weather to plant things in it. Val, our landscape designer, said we could plant in January and just cover things in case of frost. But I wanted to hold off until Spring. I don’t know if I was right but we have had two winter storms with snow and ice since then so I’m glad we waited. Also John was having carpal tunnel problems from all the digging he's been doing and I have chronic health problems that cause fatigue. So I wanted to take advantage of the winter to take a break from major gardening and give ourselves a rest. Isn't rest and hibernation part of what winter is about? 

But now it is half way into March so our hiatus is just about up. I should say mine is, John started digging on another gardening project in the back a few weeks ago. That's another story, though. 

So on to our current story -- building the planting bed:

The first step, in December, was to stake out the area. You probably can't see it but, there is string strung between each stake. The brown patch is part of where the ash tree was that we had removed last year. (John transplanted grass on the area outside of the planting bed area some time before I took this photo.)

He marked the area with blue marking paint and removed he stakes and string. Then he removed the grass from inside the area and transplanted it to the other side of the yard to where the other ash tree used to be on that side. 

This is the area on the other side. The transplanted grass is in small plugs spaced over the area.
It is a larger area to fill in because we had liriope growing around that tree. John has valiantly dug it up since the tree was removed. I'm sorry if you like liriope, but I don't want a large pointless patch of it in the middle of the grass. (It's a long story why we didn't have it around both trees. I'm very glad now we did not! It's invasive and hard to get rid of!)

Then he dug up several inches of dirt and saved it in bags to mix with compost to then add back to the planting bed.

A major part of the job was dealing with the roots from the dead ash tree.

Some roots he dug out, some he sawed out with a saws-all and some he chopped out with an ax

The pile of roots he dug, chopped or otherwise cut out.

And some are too big to remove. Val told him to drill holes in them and squirt molasses into the holes. The molasses is supposed to encourage the microbes that will eat the dead roots. 

John drilling holes in the big tree roots he couldn't remove. He then used my turkey baster to inject gardening molasses into the holes.

Next he installed edging.

Then he dug up another layer of the soil and mixed it with compost (and maybe something else but I don't remember). And then he put it all back into the bed and leveled it as he went. 

The final step was to cover it with mulch to protect the soil from drying out.

He then installed the sitting area. But I'll save that for another post.

Next I need to contact Val and arrange to get the plants she has for us. We also need to find a desert willow which will be the focal point of the planting bed.

I have wrestled with how much to research and re-think her choices. But I decided to stop tying myself in knots over it all and just go with what she suggests.  I hired her because she is an expert that was recommended to me by someone I trust. Not to say she is perfect or that we can't disagree with her at all. We have made a few minor changes as we have gone along. But I just don't have time and energy for constantly second guessing and worrying about everything all the time.

So anyway, I need to arrange a time to get the plants soon and then we can plant!