Yep, big job. Good plan to start tomorrow! Like paint and wallpaper, the project goes better if you age it well first lol.
(Your hostas will thank you.)
Jan

YIPES! That is one big pile of s---. Very nice ORGANIC s---, no doubt.

-Babka

Well, I wanted 7 yards (pine bark mulch) @ $29 / Yd. They said it would be a $75 delivery charge because I didn't meet the quantity for free delivery which was 10 yards...so 10 yards @ $290 rather than 7 yards at $203 plus $75 delivery = $278. 3 more yards for $4 a yard, hmmm, what should I do?

Babka, it was just made before they delivered it. The place I got it from is a big asphalt, concrete, rock...all types of recycled and landscape materials and they make mulch.

Jan, it will start tomorrow; I have no choice. It will be a big, big job. Have to edge, weed, extend....... then add the frosting.

Jon

This post was edited by jonnyb023 on Thu, May 2, 13 at 12:24

Got a neighbor who will buy a third of it from you? All you have to do is divide it up and you've got your seven yards w/ free delivery.

Don't put it on too thick. 2 inches is enough to prevent weeds. Otherwise it's vole habitat.

Steve

Steve,

I might interest the young couple across the street. They won't use a third. If they only wanted a few wheelbarrows I would give it to them or almost any neighbor (with one exception). The neighbor's house that is in the picture have most of their yard work done by professionals. Anyone else's place would be too long a haul.

Jon

My back hurts looking at that.That's what I call a serious project.

If you have the space, store some of it in plastic trash cans. You'll need it sooner than you think.

I usually keep a 3-5 can stash of compost for days I transplant things. This year I used it all up and the local recycle center won't have any for a month. Should have filled everything up last fall, will have to dig into my own compost instead.

Pine bark is not only terrific mulch, it's great for loosening up clay soil.

Stoc, I'm a glutton for punishment. Seriously it will take 3-4 long days to whittle that pile down prepping each area as I go. It will be worth it when it is done.

MP, The trash cans are a nice way to store it and get it around. Whatever I have left over I will cover with a tarp and weight it down with rocks where it is. Hey, you can never have too much mulch.

Jon

2-3 yards down.

Wow, I am so impressed. I really like the look of dark bark mulch. I also love your curvey beds. I am going to attempt my first island bed this summer and I am going to steal that shape. Very nice design.

Beverly

you stole my logic ... ahhhh the good old days ....

you do have a manure shovel.. i hope ... see link ...

fill a wheelbarrow in a few scoops ... and takes 99% off the drive w/o scraping it...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful:

Love the photo,great looking beds and environment.

The bed did exist, but the plantings had outgrown the border. I went out about 3 inches all around. I use a half moon edger and line it out by eye all around (hose as a guide for new beds) then cut it into chunks with the edger and dig it out with a straight-edged shovel (3 wheelbarrows with a manageable load of damp loam...onto the compost pile)

Ken, I should probably invest in a 'manure shovel'; it takes about 15 heaped shovel fulls to fill my 'deep dish' wheel barrow. If I heaped as much as I do onto a manure scoop it would sure be a heavy lift though with moist mulch.

I have seen your posts ken (good stuff), but this bed has been around for a lot longer. I do benefit from a lot of your knowledge though.

Jon

Stoc and Beverly, thank you very much. Beverly, any nice curved shape allowing for reasonable lawn mower and trimming will look great.

Jon

Beautiful, graceful curves. Sweet!

-Babka

Thanks Babka. I haven't got close to the hosta beds yet.

This post was edited by jonnyb023 on Sun, May 5, 13 at 6:30

Oh Jon your place is going to look SO GOOD. What nice positive reinforcement for your back breaking labour (compared to, say, cleaning or cooking or doing laundry lol). You'll enjoy the results of your work all summer, and so will your neighbours! Great project!
Jan

Thanks Jan....it will look nice; if I survive. Kidding....... exercise is good for you, or so they say.

Jon

Well, at least you will have something beautiful to look at while sitting in a chair (because you won't be able to stand up straight for months!).

-Babka

I have had a partially ruptured disc, pulled lateral lumbar muscle, tripped and fell full force on a cellar step (right on the small of my back...slid down the wooden steps bump, bump, bump, bump...right into my bike at the bottom of the steps jamming my toes into the chain, sprocket and the cellar wall
(that hurt), had numerous sprains and a pinched nerve that required spinal fusion (that hurt more, longer) (C5,C6). As long as I keep my back straight I can load it up and go until I'm tuckered. My back will be OK. Amazingly.

Jon

Dang, Jon!! Be careful out there-I really like the way your beds are arranged. I also really like the layout and variety of specimens you have!

Thanks Indymom. I will take it easy. Slow and steady and before you know it, it is all gone.

The dogwood in the background almost got axed as it had tremendous damage from Nemo. Years and years of struggling, but I just can't bring myself to cut it down when it still blooms so nicely each Spring.

Jon

Jonny, I like your conifers, have 60 different ones in my little lot plus all those hostas. I like your curved design too and that good mulch. Good clean lines in a landscape are so important!
I have a bad back too, take 1 Advil before I start to keep the muscles flexible. I just removed and replaced 2 big conifer bushes, no real pain. I love it when a plan comes together!
Bernd

Thanks Bernd.

I whined a bit about my back problems over the years (the pinched nerve wasn't worth living with), but with all that I don't have any real problems now. I just have to be careful as leaning over a lot will set it in spasms for a few days. I think I'm lucky. My back won't slow me down on this project.

I take one old-fashioned 5 grain non-coated aspirin every day for all the things they keep finding that it helps with. It might help with my back some, but it's really not a problem and it is not why I take it.

Jon

I love the way the bark looks, wish we could find it in bulk here. Menards used to have it by the bag fairly cheaply, but the price has more than doubled. Now it only goes on the beds by the front door.

Looks like spring has arrived in your neck of the woods.

Well, the night before last it was 33 degrees. It regularly gets into the low 60's during the day though and it looks like 40s for lows in the foreseeable future for here on in....I'll take it.

Around here Lowe's, Home Depot, WalMart and many others have pine bark in 3 cu ft bags for 3 for $10 on sale. This works out to $30 a yard (9 three cu ft bags). Transportation probably hurts you in Nebraska.

Jon

A load off a big truck would be tiring for me, that would be also down at the road. So I load the trunk of my car occasionally with up to 10 of the 2 cft mulch bags from HD, drive them up to the garage and then transfer them into my cart to stock pile somewhere. It is easier that way for me, bags are also easy to carry one at a time.
Continue your good work. Bernd

10 yards would be 135 two cubic foot bags. I think I have over 5 yards spread. I will have enough to do a good job and expand what I usually do, but there won't be much; if any, left. I still might be buying bags at the box stores before the season is over.

I'll have pics when its done. It does make everything pop. I have had two women stop and compliment the yard in addition to the usual kudos from the neighbors. Its good that people appreciate it.

Jon

Ladies love the mulch! ;)

Don B.

JonnyB, here's a picture suitable for framing,......

This post was edited by moccasinlanding on Tue, May 7, 13 at 0:03

"Ladies love the mulch! ;)
Don B."

Don B- Your sense of humor is unending. Yes, That is what we ladies are after... the Mulch. I guess it is good to be old. Go for the MULCH!

;-)
-Babka

It must be the mulch Don. If we could bottle that scent we could make a fortune.

Mocc, that was a big pile. I think I can get rid of it tomorrow, if the rain holds off a while. Starting to hit the hosta beds-

Front

Along the driveway

Looking East up Hosta Hill

North along Hosta Hill

Northwest, along the top of Hosta Hill

Northwest along the bottom of Hosta Hill

More to come.

Jon

Looks Great!! You dont realize the difference it makes until you get it down!

Looking great, Jon!

Don B.

Geez,John,I hope you are a young man! That much mulch would kill me! Your garden looks very nice,but you have lots of room for new plants! I see lots of open spaces. I have to hunt for spaces in mine,an most of my property is too steep,or too shady,or too much underbrush. Phil

Blessed and Don,

Thanks. Hitting 70 (temp., not chronologically) today and high forties or 50s at night, Rain coming tomorrow night and for a few days. I hope to get almost all of the pile laid down tomorrow. Everything is making up for lost time around here.

Freak,

Young at heart only. At my age, if you stop moving they start throwing dirt in your face. So far no pains....but no problem getting to sleep at night.

Jon