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bark chippings and planting new things

3 replies

CurlyhairedAssassin · 09/08/2009 10:25

We've finally bitten the bullet and decided to clear the weeds that have been spreading in our garden over the past 5 years! It's taking ages as you can imagine but we're getting there. Each time we clear a big patch we're putting membrane down and/or bark chippings down as a weed deterrent since we haven't enough money to plant up the bare soil with any new plants this year.

Plan is to plant up next year with some shrubs and perennials. In the mean time, I was wondering whether I could plant some spring-flowering bulbs in the autum in the patches covered in bark chippings. But how exactly would I do that? Just clear the chippings away, plant the bulbs and recover wtih bark chippings? Would the bulbs grow through the bark chippings ok in spring?

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mrsdisorganised · 09/08/2009 12:20

We plant bulbs through the bark and they usually come up well, tulips, lillies, daffs etc. Happy planting!

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CurlyhairedAssassin · 09/08/2009 17:57

Thanks! Have cleared a huge area today and put bark down so hopefully that'll suppress the weeds enough so that we can move onto the next overgrown area! It's looking very neat and tidy for the first time in years!

I will look forward to splashing out on some spring bulbs in the autumn!

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CurlyhairedAssassin · 09/08/2009 18:01

Oh can I just ask another question? When your bulbs have died down, what do you choose to do with the space they occupied? Put in some temporary planting? I was given some lovely cosmos this year by my auntie whhch have impressed me so much I'm thinking of growing my own next year from seed and planting them out once the spring bulbs have died down. Would this work?

At the moment, the only bulbs we've got in the soil are what the previous owner planted years ago, just one or two dotted here and there and they come up through the middle of shrubs and everything! So would be nice to plant some bulbs out properly.

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