Lasagna Garden!

A few weekends ago (before we got doused with snow again), I hit up the garden and laid down my first few layers of the lasagna garden. (Note to the gardeners among us -- I really have no idea what I'm doing here. I'm blindly following the book and hoping for the best.)

(PS - the book is so super fabulous. I love it.)

Okay, so here we go:

Rocky, weedy ground. Needs to be tilled and de-rocked, and generally just looks like a lot of work.



Wet newspaper, in thick pads, laid over the rocky, weedy ground.



Layers of dead leaves and kitchen compost laid over the wet newspaper.



What used to be my coffee grounds and banana peels, now beautiful rich soil.



Put it all together, and you have my very first little backyard garden. It still needs several more layers of peat moss or hay and compost, with a few bags of potting soil on top, just for good measure.



Meanwhile, in the non-lasagna half of the yard, ghosts of gardeners' past are springing up.



I think they are daffodils. (But I am no expert.)



And, for those of you who haven't yet heard about the Weed Heard Round The World, may I introduce you to what's left of it:



During the first week we moved into our house, we had no less than 12 neighbors walk by our yard and make comments about "the big weed." One lady even said she gave directions to her house by it. "Turn left at the big weed."

Well, lady, I'm real sorry, but I will not be the neighborhood landmark for bad lawncare. Another neighbor said (in a snarkier tone than I had anticipated) that we'd probably need a chainsaw to cut it down.

Nope, it came down with the strength of Steven Steele (and a hacksaw). But I can't figure out how to get it down any shorter than that. Any ideas? (Fire is not an option, as it appears to be growing right out of my deck.)

With all of the yard work, it was inevitable we'd step on something. Apparently it was the second set of daffodils. Whoops.



My little bro (who is 6'4" and ergo, not little) is visiting this weekend and we are excited to host him. Matt, I promise not to make you spread bags of compost or anything while you're here.

Well, maybe just a few bags...Come on, rotting food and dirt are so totally Spring Break!