46 Gardens West March 2009

Wait a Minute – Leisure?! The kings and queens of yore may

have had armies of minions tending their lawns, but you probably don’t. You weed it, you feed it, you water it, then you mow it, you rake it, you get rid of the “harvest”... and then you must do it all over again. What has your lawn done for YOU lately?

If you feel like your lawn is taking up a lot of your energy and not giv-ing you back enough, maybe it is time

Let’s start by considering why we have lawn. Originally, the conversion of arable land into non-productive grass symbolized wealth. Landowners didn’t need to grow food. Instead they hired workers to tend their pretty lawns. Today, grass tracts are a testimony to the triumph of humans over nature, the “brand” of urban and sub-urban living. They are still a sign of wealth and leisure.

TRANSFORM YOUR LAWN

By Elizabeth Leboe

WITHOUT EVEN DIGGING

to consider converting part of it into something a little more beautiful and much more productive. I’ll bet your lawn is occupying the sunniest, fl at-

test spot in your yard.That sounds like a location that will be perfectly suited to a new fl owerbed or, even better, a veggie plot.

Turn Your Lawn Into GardenI can hear you saying, “But I don’t

have the energy to dig up that lawn. Isn’t there an easier way?”

Yes, there is! Not only is removing turf hard on your back, but doing so also removes the healthy topsoil that is needed to nurture your new plants.

The good news is that by imitating Mother Nature, you are well on your way to a new garden without ever having to dig up the sod.

“Sheet mulching” imitates ecol-ogy by layering organic materials on an area of lawn, weeds or poor soil to create rich healthy soil for your plants. Mother Nature never rototills anything. Why should you?

So put away your spade and gas-oline-powered machines and begin hoarding organic materials. When the time is right, gather together some helping hands to make the job faster and more fun.

This is what some folks in North Vancouver did one Saturday morning as part of a GardenSmart workshop hosted by the North Shore Recycling Program. Here is how they converted about 45sq ft (4.2m2) of weedy lawn into a healthy, productive garden in three hours fl at.

Site SelectionPick a site that suits your new

garden’s needs. The existing soil does not have to be good.

The patch of weedy lawn we select-ed is ideal for fl owers and vegetables. It is south-facing and backed by the wall of a house.

What has your lawn done for YOU lately?

Mother Nature never rototills anything. Why should you?

An awkward lawn to mow can turn into a great spot for a garden.

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Gardens West March 2009 47

Gather Materials Collect some of these materials for

your sheet mulch project. Be creative, many materials are considered “gar-bage” and are free!

Weed Barrier Materials• Burlap, wool or cotton fabrics

or natural-fi bre carpets• Newspapers or cardboard

Soil-Building Materials•Grass clippings, soft plant prunings or weeds (dry weeds in the sun or drown in water to kill them)

Your neighbours will be happy to give you their grass clippings. Be sure to enquire about pesticide use before using.

Peel tape from cardboard.

Cardboard is a sturdy weed barrier.

• Fallen leaves • Straw • Thin woody prunings• Manure • Used stable bedding• Peat moss • Compost

A layer of topsoil creates a fi nished look.

Compost does not need to be completely broken down.

Used straw bedding is free from stables.

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48 Gardens West March 2009

Prepare Your SiteMow or trample the grass and

weeds and leave them there. If you have any organic fertilizers (rock dust, alfalfa meal and such) scatter it on your new garden site. Water the site well.

Weed & Grass BarrierThis is the most important part of

the sheet mulch project, as this step replaces digging up sod. These are the basic rules for whatever barrier material you use:

• Overlap edges well (15 cm or 6" or more) • Don’t skimp (if you can poke

through it, so can weeds and grass)• Don’t leave gaps

Ideally, you would lay down a thick, unbroken barrier and let it naturally break down while it smothers the weeds and grass below. But in spring, you likely have rooted plants to place in your new garden (as we did); in this case, lay the barrier material snugly around transplanted perennials.

Spread natural fertilizers first.Laying cardboard is even easier if it’s moistened first.

We put the barrier around plant stems.

Take care not to damage plant stems.

Plant through Xs cut in cardboard.

March PuzzleThe answers to the following six questions can be found in the articles in

this month's issue. Once you have found the correct answers, take the first letter of each answer and rearrange them to answer the following – Mr. Mushroom

wanted to be known as a real ______! (2 words) Warning: New year, new puns!

1. Chenopodiaceae is the Latin name for the __________ family.2. The polyphemus caterpillar is green with _________ vertical stripes. 3. Make no major changes to your ponds until the water is over 50° _________. 4. Four species of this bird are found in North America. _____________5. The ________ of the Polyphemus moth's wings resemble dead leaves.6. Genus name for a Top Ten Prairie tree pick with a vase-like habit. _________

Send your answer to CONTEST by mail, fax or email to contest@gardenswest.com. Include your full name, address and phone number. The draw takes place March 18. If your answer is one of the first three correct answers drawn, we'll notify you and you can choose

your new book. The winners and their prizes will be announced in mid-March.Puzzle created by Elaine Murphy

November/December 2008 coNtest ANswers 1. officinalis 2. okanagan 3. obelisk 4. Homebush 5. Hawthorne 6. Honeydew:

FINAL PHRASE: HO HO HO

November/December Puzzle coNtest wiNNers: Jacquie McNeil, Savona, BC won Garden Spaces: Simple Solutions for Planning & Design by George Carter (Mitchell Beazley). Joan Brown, Winnipeg, MB won The 2007 Prairie Garden: The Edible Landscape (The Prairie Garden Committee). Norlaine McIvor, Davidson, SK won The 2009 Prairie Garden(The Prairie Garden Committee).

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Gardens West March 2009 49

Layer Soil-Building Materials

Mix and match as many different kinds of materials as you can get your hands on. Don’t be stingy – make an “organic sandwich” at least 4" (10cm) deep as it will shrink by ¾ as it com-posts down.

Planting is OptionalSince it is spring and you want

to put plants in your new garden, here are a couple of things to keep in mind. Large seeds work best in a new sheet mulch (potatoes, garlic, squash). Rooted plants should be planted into the soil below the bar-rier layer – either cut an “X” through the barrier and plant through it or place the plant first, and lay the barrier material around its stem (we did both).

Add old rotting straw for a quick-to-decompose carbon layer. Fallen leaves also work well.

Add grass clippings as a nitrogen layer.

Compost and manure contain beneficial soil microorganisms

Add more layers for more new soil.

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50 Gardens West March 2009

A Finished GardenWe added a layer of topsoil to

make the instant garden look better and watered heavily to kick-start the composting process.

As the season progresses, organic materials will compost down and turn into beautiful, rich soil. Our flowering and fruiting plants flourished. You can add more mulch materials to the top as you gather them.

ConclusionSheet mulching is an easy way to

convert lawn into garden. Best of all, the technique is flexible enough to work with whatever materials and energy you have available and you can do it at any time of the year.

You can also use this method to improve soil on existing garden beds. So transform your lawn. Pile it on!i

Look at this fine crop of tomatoes ripening on the vine in the warm sunshine.

A productive garden by mid-summer is your reward for sheet mulching this spring!

This September photo shows healthy soil and squash leaves.

Who could possibly miss an unused chunk of lawn when they get to enjoy this fine crop of freshly cooked home-grown potatoes right from the garden? These tasty pommes de terre alone more than make up for the loss of the grass.

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