Mulch, mulch,more mulch...soil improvement, for successful gardening

Huge Red Day Lily

We have had a completely atypical spring here on the eastern shore of Maryland. Typically we have a short spring with a warm summer rolling right in, right early. This year we have had a New England type spring. It has been cool and wetter than usual. As a result of this unexpected weather we have had a superior spring bloom. The color display is enormous and spectacular. For the past several years I have been laying a structure and foundation of ground covers, perennials and shrubs to present a great show of color, texture and form. The plan was to create a sweep of bloom from April through the summer and into the fall.  I have been more than disappointed at the results in those same last few years.  All my work was destroyed by drought, wind, and varmits. It has soured me on my beloved hobby of gardening. I didn't like being sour and discouraged, but when fertilizer,mulch and a watering system failed to create the desired result, I was ready to just walk away from it all. Then came this spring, an unexpected gift.

sandy soil in natural state

When we moved here from New York, my better half generously volunteered to divide and dig out many of my perennials from the garden I had created and built in New York for the past thirty years. Of course, I had done the New York garden all by myself over those thirty something years, but now physical injuries hinder my ability to do what I could do before injury, so I need some help. My partner has offered that help and it has made a huge difference in what the garden has grown to be. There are things I can do very slowly, taking about three times as much time as before injury...and I do do that. His help in carrying plants and fertilizers can not be diminished.

mulched ground in garden bed

He generously blessed me by doing the work required to apply about eight cubic yards of composted mulch purchased from the local municipality.  That mulch application started about four years ago, at considerable expense and efforts. For four years we questioned the value of our work and mulch purchases. Our completely sandy soil (above),the natural soil in the area, holds no water. Four years of mulch application and deterioration have transformed our beds into moisture holding, worm producing garden beds created from uncultivated sand. Cultivation and turning in the soil is not necessary. Worms will do that work for you! A yearly application of mulch...many possibilities for that...compost, hay, leafmold, wood chips, as long as it is a natural product, will give you a darker richer soil for growing. It is a miracle and a blessing.if you make it six inches deep it will control weeds and keep moisture in the soil.  Take a look at our photos and you will see the product of our labors.
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healthy happy English Lavendar "Munstead" variety

Azaelea flower on bush this spring

Three year old Stella D'Oro Day Lilies surround a garden bench