Cardboard Flower Bed

Cardboard Flower Bed

Who would have ever guessed our love affair with home delivery would morph into a gardening technique. That’s what is happening, though with the proliferance of cardboard and the desire, at least on my part, to have yet another flower bed on my limestone hillside.

Cardboard has been an excellent gardening tool for a number of years. I have used cardboard in the bottom of newly-dug holes to keep seedlings watered. I have also mulched established plants first with cardboard, then covered them in seasoned wooden chips.

Now cardboard in my garden has graduated into getting new full-fledged flower beds ready for planting.

It doesn’t have to be large pieces, any size cardboard box will do.

Saving a small stash of cardboard to move it out to my garden. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

When gardening on a hillside, the critical part is having something to place on the cardboard so that it doesn’t blow away.

When I think I have enough cardboard to cover a garden area, I either collect bags of shredded leaves or already have shredded leaves in the area. That way I can cover the cardboard with the shredded leaves so they hold down the cardboard.

Leaves also make good choices to keep cardboard from blowing away. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

If I can time the cardboard addition to weather, even better. A good rain will help settle the cardboard into the hillside and help it smother what is underneath.

If something is strong enough to grow through cardboard, I tend to leave it.

It can take 6 weeks to 3 months to kill off what was originally growing in an area now covered in cardboard.

Once the area is cleared and is covered in shredded leaves and wood chips, it should be ready for planting in the next growing season.

Now I’m working on cardboard for the next flower garden. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I like the idea of repurposing cardboard in my garden. The cardboard also provides a nice layer that helps maintain moisture in the soil.

Coming up next, planting native tree seedlings from George O. White Nursery, coming in around April.

Charlotte