Wildflower Hugelkultur, Year 2

Sunday, January 31, 2021

Wildflower Bed/Stump

It looks like I wrote about the start of the wildflower stump bed, but didn't post about year 1. And we've had a year 2 since then, so here we go! It started with a tree stump which I covered in compost and soil and deer-resistant wildflower mix...

Wildflower Growth - 2 weeks after planting
June 23, 2019

And eventually erupted in a pile of Four O'Clocks and white Sweet Alyssum from the seed mix, which work as perennials around here. The thistles and Queen Anne's Lace are just common weeds that come in fromt all over the place. 'Spend forever digging those up!

Hugelkultur Wildflower Bed (Deer Resistant)
Hugelkultur Wildflower Bed (Deer Resistant)
August 14, 2019

The following year, the neighbor redid their hillside for drainage issues, and I sprinkled in a healthy dose of sensation mix cosmos and wildflower seeds.

Hillside Shaping
May 19, 2020
Cosmos growing on the hillside
August 16, 2020

The construction workers asked if they could pull my pile of covered goldenrod rootballs into the hillside, and I said sure. I'm not sure they realized they essentially planted themselves a goldenrod, not grass, slope with this move.

Clematis growing on the hillside
September 14, 2020

In the construction, some of the soil + established wildflowers were stripped away, leaving the stump mostly exposed, but perhaps the biannual Sweet Williams distract the eye?

Wildflower Bed/Stump
Mixed Sweet Williams in the Wildflower Stump Bed
Mixed Sweet Williams in the Wildflower Stump Bed
June 24, 2020

The only other wildflower that seemed to return were some California poppies...

California Poppies and Sweet Williams in wildflower bed
June 14, 2020

But the hillside had a nice sprinkling of additional poppies and other wildflowers from a different wildflower mix...

Wildflowers growing on the hillside Wildflowers growing on the hillside
Wildflowers growing on the hillside
August 16, 2020

...as well as a volunteer ugly gourd from last year's collection that decorate the dining table!

Volunteer Ugly Gourd on the hillside
Volunteer Ugly Gourd on the hillside
August 22, 2020

It is forwrad progress, but I might have to rethink what I grow on the old tree stump...not sure. I'm considering turning that whole area into a wood-chipped garden for growing squash, not sure, though. Maybe I'll get some inspiration in winter...

Hugelkultur Wildflower Bed (Deer Resistant)
June 12, 2019

1 comments:

rainmelon said...

Squash!

These flowers are beautiful (naturally, Pixel only adds to the effect). And today I learned what hugelkulter is :-).